Paris, who still deploys some 3,000 soldiers in the Sahel, officially ended his anti -jihadist operation “Barkhane”, and gave himself six months to finalize his new strategy in Africa.
MO12345LEMONDE WITH AFP
In An interview In the Journal du Dimanche, the Minister of the French Army, Sébastien Lecornu, did not rule out a special forces departure French based in Burkina Faso, where demonstrations against the French presence took place on Friday, when France ends its anti -Jihadist operation “Barkhane” in the Sahel.
“It is obvious that the revision of our general strategy in Africa questions all the components of our presence, including the special forces,” said Lecornu on Sunday, November 20. “Saber [The contingent of French special forces based in the Ouagadougou region] has had a key role in recent years in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel,” he insists.
France, which still deploys some 3,000 soldiers in the Sahel, after counting up to 5,500 men, officially ended its anti -jihadist operation “Barkhane”, and gave itself six months to finalize its new strategy in Africa.
“We are working on an organization of the format of our existing military bases. They will have to keep certain capacities, to protect our nationals, for example, but also turn more towards the formation of local armies”, explains Mr. Lecornu, adding : “There is no longer any question of fighting terrorism instead of our partners, but of doing it with them, by their side.”
“Support in the fight against terrorism”
Friday, a demonstration against the presence of France in Burkina Faso, undermined by jihadist violence, targeted the French Embassy in Ouagadougou and the Kamboinsin military base, on the outskirts of the capital, where a quota is parked Special Forces of the Saber Force.
Paris, who has already left Mali with whom he maintains execrable relations, nevertheless wishes to maintain a military presence in the Sahel, notably in Niger. “Its destabilization would have an appalling impact,” warns Mr. Lecornu.
“Other countries also ask us for support in the fight against terrorism. For this work to be installed over time, the question of training officers and non-commissioned officers of African armies will be central” , he explains.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, gave himself in November six months to finalize the new strategy of France in Africa.
