Start date July 2014 | Location Sahel | |
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3,000 French troops 3,000 fighters (all groups) Combatants France, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Similar Operation Serval, Opération Chammal, Operation Sangaris, Northern Mali conflict, Opération Épervier | ||
jdef in english operation barkhane at the heart of the cooperation
Operation Barkhane is an ongoing anti-insurgent operation in Africa's Sahel region, which commenced 1 August 2014. It consists of a 3,000-strong French force, which will be permanent and headquartered in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. The operation has been designed with five countries, and former French colonies, that span the Sahel: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. These countries are collectively referred to as the "G5 Sahel."
Contents
- jdef in english operation barkhane at the heart of the cooperation
- Background
- Aim
- French Forces
- British support
- Operations
- References
The operation is named after a crescent-shaped dune in the Sahara desert.
Background
The operation is the successor of Operation Serval, the French military mission in Mali, and Operation Epervier, the mission in Chad.
Aim
The operation is "to become the French pillar of counterterrorism in the Sahel region." According to French Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the main objective of Operation Barkhane is counter-terrorism: "The aim is to prevent what I call the highway of all forms of traffics to become a place of permanent passage, where jihadist groups between Libya and the Atlantic Ocean can rebuild themselves, which would lead to serious consequences for our security." French President, François Hollande, has said the Barkhane force will allow for a "rapid and efficient intervention in the event of a crisis" in the region.
The operation will target Islamist extremists in Mali, Chad and Niger, and will have a mandate to operate across borders.
French Forces
The French force is a 3,000-strong counter-terrorism force, with 1,000 soldiers to be deployed indefinitely in Mali. These soldiers will be focused on counter-terrorism operations in northern Mali, with another 1,200 soldiers stationed in Chad, and the remaining soldiers split between a surveillance base in Niger, a bigger permanent base in Ivory Coast, and some special forces in Burkina Faso.
According to original plans, the French forces will be supplied with 20 helicopters, 200 armored vehicles, 10 transport aircraft, 6 fighter planes, and 3 drones. French Army Aviation currently have two Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma's in Chad.
The division of labor between France and the G5 Sahel has been established by four permanent military bases: (1) headquarters and an air force base in the Chadian capital of N'Djamena (under the leadership of French Général Palasset); (2) a regional base in Gao, north Mali, with at least 1,000 men; (3) a special-forces base in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou; (4) an intelligence base in Niger’s capital, Niamey, with over 300 men.
The Niamey air base is strategically important because it hosts drones in charge of gathering intelligence across the entire Sahel-Saharan region. From Niamay, Frances troops are supported by two German Transall C-160.
British support
In March 2016, during the UK-France Summit in Paris, the British government announced that it would consider providing support to Operation Barkhane. British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon then announced that the UK would provide monthly strategic airlift support to French forces in Africa.
Operations
Operations commenced 1 August 2014. French Forces sustained their first casualty during a battle in early November 2014, which also resulted in 24 jihadists dead.
On 12 April 2016, three French soldiers were killed when their armored personnel carrier struck a land mine. The convoy of about 60 vehicles was travelling to the northern desert town of Tessalit when it hit the mine.
On 15 March 2017, French forces arrested eight jihadists in desert north of Timbuktu.