Operation Barkhane
Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, exploiting a Tuareg separatist uprising.
France began a military intervention the next year that evolved into the current Operation Barkhane deployment with a mandate for counter-terror operations across the Sahel region, encompassing Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
Around 4,500 French personnel are deployed, and they work alongside the G5 Sahel joint counter-terrorism force that aims to train 5,000 troops, as well as peacekeepers deployed to the United Nations Minusma stabilization mission in Mali.
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Oct- 2019 -24 OctoberAfrica
Denmark parliament approves deployments to Barkhane and MINUSMA in the Sahel
Denmark's parliament has approved two separate deployments of a C-130J and EH-101 helicopters to the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa
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17 OctoberAfrica
G5 Sahel Joint Force makes ‘major’ weapons seizure in northern Niger
The G5 Sahel Joint Force (FCG5S) said Nigerien troops had made a "major arms seizure" during a 10-day military operation in northern Niger
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3 OctoberAfrica
France seeks international support for Sahel military coalition
France is asking European partners to send special forces to the Sahel for a coalition to shore up local forces increasingly targeted by jihadist attacks
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1 OctoberTechnology
France plots an autonomous course on drones
French armed unmanned aircraft will always have humans in the loop, defense ministry doctrine expert tells London UAV Technology conference
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Sep- 2019 -25 SeptemberBlog
French soldiers deployed to Mali use 3D printers to make spare parts
French soldiers deployed to Operation Barkhane in the Sahel have been experimenting with 3D printers to make spare parts at their base in Mali
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23 SeptemberAfrica
Nine reported killed in weekend attacks in northern Burkina Faso
Nine people were reported killed in attacks in Bam and Soum Provinces in northern Burkina Faso near the border with Mali
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9 SeptemberAfrica
Dozens killed in IED and gun attacks in northern Burkina Faso
Dozens of people were killed and six injured in IED and gun attacks on vehicles in northern Burkina Faso
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7 SeptemberMiddle East
Denmark plans to boost military contributions to Syria, the Sahel and NATO
Denmark plans to increase military contributions to missions around the world, including in the Sahel, Syria, Lithuania and Estonia
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Jul- 2019 -22 JulyAfrica
Suicide car bomb targets French military base in Gao, Mali
An apparent suicide car bomb exploded at the entrance to a French military base in the central Mali town of Gao
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19 JulyAfrica
Mali: ‘Terrorists’ killed in French airstrike near Niger border
Aircraft attached to the France-led Operation Barkhane in the Sahel struck "terrorists" in Mali near the border with Niger, killing nine, the armed forces said
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