On Thursday, June 10, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a “profound transformation” of the French military presence in the Sahel and the establishment of an international anti-jihadist alliance in the region.
“At the end of the consultations (..) we will embark on a profound transformation of our military presence in the Sahel,” he said during a press conference, announcing the end of Operation Barkhane as a “foreign operation” and the implementation of “an international alliance that brings together the regions of the region ‘.
“The time has come” to initiate “a profound transformation of our military presence in the Sahel,” the head of state explained during a press conference at the Élysée Palace.
Emmanuel Macron considered that France’s role had never been to replace African states, saying that discussions would take place in the coming weeks to set the “new framework” for intervention in the Sahel.
“The continued presence in the context of France’s external operations cannot replace the return of the state and state departments to political stability and the election of sovereign states,” the French president stressed.
Consultations on this subject will be held at the end of June with the European partners of the United States and France, as well as with the G5 Sahel countries (Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania), says Emmanuel Macron.
The fight against terrorism will be carried out “with special forces structured around (operation) Takuba with apparently a strong French component – with several hundred troops – and African, European and international forces”, which “will be called upon to intervene strictly in the fight against terrorism “, The French president specified.
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