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More French Troops in the Sahel

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Tony Chafer is Professor of French and African Studies at the University of Portsmouth

Read more on France’s growing problems in the Sahel

 

On Sunday France announced it was increasing its military presence in the Sahel by adding a further 600 troops to its 4,500-strong operation in Mali and four other countries in the region. This is in addition to the  220 extra troops for the region that Macron announced at a G5 Sahel summit which he hosted in Pau last month. The announcement came as France tries to contain a rise in violence that has increased insecurity across the region.

With this announcement France is seeking to underline its regional commitment, having lost 13 of its own troops in a helicopter collision last November.

Part of the reason for the increase is no doubt to keep up pressure on France’s  European allies to mobilise troops and resources in support of the French mission in the Sahel, Operation Barkhane. Paris is also putting pressure on the US not to draw down its military presence in the region, which it has indicated it wishes to do. Defence minister Florence Parly returned last week from a visit to the US where she asked for Washington’s support in “burden sharing” in the Sahel.

Macron is also under pressure from senior military figures, who are calling for a change of strategy and increased resources if Operation Barkhane is to succeed. His own Chief of Staff, General Francois Lecointre, told a parliamentary committee last November that current troop levels were inadequate for such a large expanse of territory.

Weekly Update on Sahel

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Responding to the Rise in Violent Extremism in the Sahel

Pauline Le Roux highlights in her ACSS brief that violent activity involving close coordinated militant Islamist groups in the Sahel has doubled every year since 2015. They employ asymmetric tactics and have aplified local girevances and intercommunal differences to increase recruitement. Given the complex social dimensions of violence in the Sahel, a more robust mobile security presence and solidarity with communities affected by conflict is recommended.

Engager le dialogue au Sahel : à Pau un revirement stratégique est nécessaire

Jean-Hervé Jezequel, director at the Sahel Project, discusses at the ICG the meeting between France and G5 Sahel members that took place on 13 January. Altough actors reaffirmed their committment to fight together against jihadi terrorism, the autor argues that the military response is not enough and a political solution needs to be found.

The G5 Sahel region: a Desert Flower?

Stellah Kwasi, Jakkie Cilliers, Lily Welborn and Ibrahim Maiga provide a short history of G5 Sahel. They argue that fundamnetal development interventions and not militarised approaches can improve the situation in the region. These must include: promotion of accountable governance that promotes transparency, the rule of law and respect for human rights, and provision of basic services for the entire population.