This archive report was first published on 3 July 2021.
Published on July 2, 2021, France announced that it would resume joint military operations in Mali, after suspending them in June following the West African country's second coup in less than a year.
The decision to resume operations was made after consultations with the Malian transitional authorities and the countries of the region. France's armed forces minister stated that the country had 'decided to resume joint military operations as well as national advisory missions, which had been suspended since June 3.'
France's decision to suspend operations in June came after Mali's military strongman, Assimi Goita, ousted the country's civilian transitional president and prime minister. This move sparked diplomatic uproar, prompting the United States to suspend security assistance for Malian security forces and for the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to suspend Mali.
Both Mali and France play key roles in the fight against a bloody jihadist insurgency plaguing the Sahel region. France has approximately 5,100 troops in the Sahel under its Barkhane operation, which spans five countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.
France's military presence in the Sahel has been ongoing for nearly a decade, with French President Emmanuel Macron announcing a major drawdown of France's military presence in the Sahel in June. The existing Barkhane operation would end, with France's presence becoming part of the so-called Takuba international task force.
The Takuba force currently numbers about 600 troops, with half of them being French. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy, Romania, and Sweden have also pledged to participate in the task force.
