France and its European partners operating in Mali have announced their coordinated withdrawal from the country, where they are present with the operation Barkhane and European special forces Takuba.
"The political, operational and legal conditions are no longer met"And the countries, reads a joint statement, have decided "The coordinated withdrawal" from the African country, while ensuring theirs “Willingness to stay engaged in the region" of the Sahel, where jihadist threats remain. France has around 4.300 soldiers in the region, 2.400 of them in Mali alone. Macron, however, also reiterated the "maintaining the commitment in the Sahel with neighboring countries ".
Macron, Draghi and the other EU leaders therefore decided to leave Mali but not completely abandon the Sahel region. One hypothesis is the strengthening of the presence in Niger o Chad, even if the idea is to rethink all the collaboration with the G5 Sahel and West African countries.
Niger welcomes the forces deployed from Mali
President Mohamed Bazoum announced today that Niger will welcome French and European special forces following the deployment from Mali.
"Our goal is the security of our border with Mali ", Bazoum said on Twitter, adding that he expects an increase in the threat from armed groups after the departure of foreign contingents: "Mali but also the whole area will be increasingly infested by terrorist groups that will strengthen themselves trying to extend their influence on civilian populations ".
Figaro interviewed the president Mohamed Bazoum who bluntly said: "The end of the Barkhane operation will create a vacuum that will benefit the terrorists "
The French special forces and their partners will increase their presence in Niger starting from June after the signing of the memoranda of understanding, but also in other South African countries, where there is a formal request. Benin could be the first, says Bazoum.
Niger is ready, Figaro Bazoum confirmed, there will be new outposts in Niger because our goal is the security of the borders with Mali.
The new bases in Niger will not be that far from Menaka e Gao and they will welcome most of the forces employed in the Takuba mission, where we will also insert a component of our army.
On Mali Bazoum said that he fears a collapse of the power system of the military junta, after the departure of the Westerners and above all because of the harsh sanctions imposed by ECOWAS (Economic Community of West Africa). The only solution for them, Bazoum highlights, is to get closer to neighboring countries trying to negotiate sanctions, it would be an exit strategy capable of preserving the presence of the UN mission as well. Minusma which, otherwise, could abandon the Malian country in the face of worsening instability and the consequent power vacuum.
On the presence of the Russian private company Wagnerr in Mali Bazoum said that it is always preferable to resort to state structures rather than private companies, whose ethics are not very assertive and whose action on the ground could create other kinds of problems.
On the military in power in Bamako Bazoum commented that these soldiers came to power by promising to protect Mali, but the evidence shows the opposite. After the second coup, all the military posts on the border with Niger were abandoned under the pressure of terrorists: "there is no longer a Malian army on the border with Niger, only terrorists ”.
The military junta, once in power, had planned to organize elections within eighteen months, then they changed their minds by presenting at the request of theECOWAS, a road map that predicts them in power for five years. Hence the harsh economic sanctions imposed by ECOWAS.
On the increase in the presence of foreign soldiers in Niger Bazoum confirms that for Niamey the only thing that matters is the safety of the territory and its people from the threat of terrorists.
Military forces deployed in the Takuba and Barkhane missions will be welcome.
Italy in Niger
Our country is present in that territory with the "Bilateral support mission in the Republic of Niger - MISIN", Commanded by the pilot colonel of theair Force, Davide Cipelletti, (with the geographical area of intervention also extended to Mauritania, Nigeria and Benin) in order to increase the capacities aimed at combating the phenomenon of illegal trafficking and threats to security, as part of a joint European and US effort for the stabilization of area and the strengthening of territorial control capacities by the Nigerian authorities and the G5 Sahel countries.
About 200 militar Italians are, on the other hand, included in the TF Takuba, guaranteeing medical evacuation capabilities of coalition personnel in operation through the use of the 3 CH 47 F transport aircraft of theArmy, in medevac configuration that make use of the necessary safety framework ensured by the 3 exploration and escort helicopters AH - 129D "Mangusta", of the 5th and 7th regiments of the Army Aircraft Brigade, framed in the Task Force “Jacana".
