News Highlight
On November 9, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the end of the decade-long Operation Barkhane in Africa.
Key Takeaway
- The president said, “Our military support for African countries will continue, but according to new principles that we have defined with them.”
Operation Barkhane
- What?
- It is an anti-terrorist operation in the Sahel region of Africa.
- Initially, it was limited to targeting Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaeda, who took control of northern Mali.
- However, in 2014, the mission was scaled up, renamed Operation Barkhane and was aimed at counter-terrorism.
- Goals
- It was to improve the exposure and visibility of French’s military forces in Africa and to focus on cooperation and support, mainly in terms of equipment, training, intelligence and operational partnerships for countries that wanted it.
- Beginning
- The French troops’ deployment was launched in 2013 when the terrorist insurgents took over much of northern Mali before being pushed away by the French and their regional partners.
The Sahel region
- About
- The Sahel region consists of the vast semi-arid and mostly inhospitable part of Africa, separating the Sahara Desert to the north and tropical savannas to the south.
- Distribution
- It includes parts of Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, South Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.
- Significance
- The Sahel is endowed with great potential for renewable energy and sits atop some of the largest aquifers on the continent.
- Potentially one of the wealthiest regions in the world with abundant human, cultural and natural resources.
- Youthful region
- With 64.5% of the population being below 25 years, the Sahel is one of the world’s most youthful regions.
- Therefore, investments in education and vocational training could yield huge demographic dividends.
- G5 Sahel
- G5 Sahel or G5S is an institutional framework for coordinating regional cooperation in development policies and security matters in west Africa.
- It was formed in 2014 in Nouakchott, Mauritania, at a summit of five Sahel countries:
- Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.
Content Source: Wionews