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Operation Barkhane (French: Opération Barkhane) was a counterinsurgency operation that started on 1 August 2014 and formally ended on 9 November 2022. It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's Sahel region[22] and consisted of a roughly 3,000-strong French force, which was permanently headquartered in N'Djamena, the capital of Chad.[1][15] The operation was led in co-operation with five countries, all of which are former French colonies that span the Sahel: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. Mali was a part of the operation until August 2022.[1] The countries are collectively referred to as the "G5 Sahel".[23] The operation was named after a crescent-shaped dune type that is common in the Sahara desert.[24]
The French military initially intervened in Mali in early 2013 as part of Operation Serval, which successfully regained the northern half of the country from Islamist groups. Operation Barkhane is intended to follow up to that success and has expanded the French military's operations over a vast area of the Sahel region. The operation has the stated aim of helping the countries' governments to maintain control of their territory and preventing the region from becoming a safe haven for Islamist terrorist groups that plan to attack France and Europe.[25]
On 24 May 2021, the 2021 Malian coup d'état was carried out by Vice President Assimi Goïta.[26] French President Emmanuel Macron announced in June 2021 that the operation would soon end and French forces would pull out in a phased manner, due to France's inability to work with the national governments in the Sahel region. He however added that French forces would remain in the region as part of a larger international mission.[27] The operation was later scheduled to end by the first quarter of 2022.[28]
France began withdrawing its troops from Mali on 17 February 2022.[29] Macron announced that the base of Barkhane will shift to Niger.[30] The military junta ruling Mali however asked France to withdraw without delay on 18 March, with Macron responding that they would withdraw over the next four to six months.[31] French forces fully withdrew from Mali on 15 August.[14] The French military stated that the operation was not ending, but being reformulated.[15] However on 9 November, Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane.[12]
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
Africanadventureswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Eesti Rahvusringhäälingwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "The Danish effort in the Sahel region (MINUSMA and Operation Barkhane)". fmn.dk. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ Forces, Swedish Armed. "Swedish Special Forces to Mali". Försvarsmakten. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ Maclean, Ruth; O'Reilly, Finbarr (29 March 2020). "Crisis in the Sahel Becoming France's Forever War". The New York Times.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
UKSupportwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
UKAirliftSupportwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Operation FREQUENCE". Forces.gc.ca. National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
- ^ "The CAF conduct airlift operations in support of French operations in West Africa and the Sahel region". Government of Canada. National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces. 11 November 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
- ^ "Operation FREQUENCE". army.mil. US Army. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ "France ends West African Barkhane military operation". Reuters. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ^ a b Hugh Schofield (9 November 2022). "France calls time on anti-jihadist Operation Barkhane in Sahel". BBC News. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ David Coffey (12 November 2022). "Did France's Operation Barkhane win the fight against terror in the Sahel?". Radio France Internationale. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ a b Annie Risemberg (15 August 2022). "French Forces Complete Departure from Mali". Voice of America. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference
Africanewswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "France's African forever war". UnHerd. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- ^ Patrick Angevin (17 February 2022). "Retrait français du Mali. Pourquoi le bilan de l'opération Barkhane reste très discutable" [French withdrawal from Mali. Why the results of Operation Barkhane remain very questionable]. Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ^ "Malis ründasid terroristid Gao sõjaväebaasi" [In Mali, terrorists attacked the Gao military base]. Estonian Defence Forces. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ "Six Estonian Defence Forces members injured in Mali terrorist attack". Estonian Public Broadcasting. 23 July 2019.
- ^ Starr, Barbara; Cohen, Zachary (19 October 2017). "What we know and don't know about the deadly Niger attack". Washington: CNN. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
- ^ Anthony Fouchard, Au Sahel, l'armée française a tué au moins 2 800 présumés djihadistes, Mediapart, 16 février 2022.
- ^ France sets up anti-Islamist force in Africa's Sahel, bbc.co.uk.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hollande announces new military operation in West Africa Archived 8 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine, france24.com.
- ^ "French troops in Mali anti-jihadist campaign mired in mud and mistrust". Reuters. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ "Mali President, PM Resign After Arrest, Confirming 2nd Coup in 9 Months". VOA News. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 29 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- ^ "Macron announces the end of France's anti-Islamist Operation Barkhane in the Sahel". France24, Agence France-Presse, Reuters. France 24. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ^ "Macron announces France's Sahel military force will end in early 2022". Agence France-Presse. France 24. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
withdrawalbeginningwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Macron announces French troop withdrawal from Mali". Agence France-Presse, France 24, Reuters. France 24. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
f24-20220318was invoked but never defined (see the help page).