Nigerian General Oumarou Namata, commander of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, was in Paris on Wednesday, December 2. RFI could meet him exclusively. General Namata assures us that the joint force, three years after its creation, has now reached maturity in the fight against armed terrorist groups. If the military presence in the Sahel becomes international with the gradual arrival of the European Takuba Force, General Namata still considers a reduction in the size of the Barkhane Force to be premature, as has been mentioned in recent months by some observers.
RFI: General Namata, the common strength has been particularly strong in recent weeks. You participated with Barkhane in Operation “Bourrasque” in the three border areas, what was your role?
General Oumarou Namata: Bourrasque is an operation mounted by Barkhane, our mission was to perform protection, with clear orders prohibiting the crossing of the Niger River, which forms the natural border between Liptako and Gourma. During this operation, we had to set up mixed Barkhane / Joint Force battle groups, which had never happened before. The integration, the harmonization of our actions is welcome in this regard.
So the joint headquarters in Niamey, with the Barkhane force, proves its effectiveness?
Joint Command Post, which derives from the Joint Command Mechanism, a policy directive from the Pau summit in January last year made it possible to achieve important results, not only in terms of coordination but above all through reciprocity, which enables a certain densification of resources in the field and a rapid reuse of the business area.
Military what is missing in the common force? Plan, intelligence?
The common force faces some challenges, especially the air component: at the moment we do not have it, even though it is an essential part of the fight against armed terrorist groups in an area as large as the Sahel. When it comes to intelligence, the other weakness of the common strength, we rely mainly on human resources, while technology allows us to have a certain strategic expectation.
In the field, how do we maneuver seven battalions from five national armies??
The joint force currently consists of seven battalions, an eighth is expected. These troops are supported by their national chain and are made available to the joint force under OPCON (the operational commanders – OPCON – act by delegating the operational commander to the Chief of Defense). It is during this level of operational command that we activate our battalions. It is simply a matter of coordination when necessary.
This eighth battalion, which will be a Chadian battalion, has been hoped for for several months, when it will be available to operate within the three borders.?
The eighth battalion was the subject of a strong announcement by the Chadian president personally, it is a presidential commitment, we believe in it. He had already left for the three border areas in March 2020 when a situation beyond our control caused him to deviate from his path, but he is still expected.
Is the political change in Mali that took place this summer the Malian troops daring their motivation?
The political change in Mali, I can assure you, from the point of view of combat operations, has not had a negative impact on the Malian commitment. I want proof of this during the hearings granted to me, both by the Chief of Staff and his hierarchical superior, the Minister of Defense. All these authorities reiterated their full commitment to the struggle. against terrorism.
President Emmanuel Macron recently stated “that we do not discuss with terrorists, we fight”. In your eyes, with JNIM led by Malien Iyad Ag Ghali, are we fighting or negotiating?
In general, the EIGS (Islamic State in the Greater Sahara) is currently destabilized in its preferred zone, which is Liptako-Gourma, thanks to our combined actions National Armies-Barkhane-Joint Force, EIGS has lost some of its capabilities. But it would be too early to say that he is no longer the enemy. But for us, the fight against all armed terrorist groups continues. So yes, we monitor JNIM. To be clear, RVIM or JNIM is our enemy.
Paris calls for an internationalization of the military presence in the Sahel, especially through the European force Takuba. Are you afraid of a reduction in Barkhana’s strength in the coming months?
Takuba is a capacity extension of the Barkhane force. At present, Takuba’s contribution is indeed very beneficial, but Barkhane is a privileged partner for the common force. Barkhane makes it possible to compensate for the deficits of our national armed forces. Barkhane is a key player in the fight against terrorism. Therefore, for us as a common force, it would be too early to consider this and risky for the G5-Sahel.
Because time is with us …
If time is in your favor, when do you think you can win this war on terror in the Sahel??
The fight against terrorism is a long one. That is true, progress has been made. But the threat remains. It would be very risky to express myself when it comes to deadlines, but we believe in victory!
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