General Marc Conruyt, the commander of the French Barkhane military operation against jihadists in the Sahel region, confirmed during a visit to Ouagadougou on Wednesday that the armies of the region are "entirely capable of countering" jihadist groups. French President Emmanuel Macron announced in June his intention to reduce the French military presence in the Sahel region and also to end the Barkhane operation, indicating that this operation, which currently involves more than five thousand soldiers, will conclude in the "first quarter of 2022."
On Wednesday, General Conruyt stated after meeting with Burkina Faso's President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, "I believe that the armies of the Sahel region, in general, continue to rise to a higher level or have reached this level. Today they are entirely capable of countering armed terrorist groups and striking against them." He added that this assessment is based on "numerous joint operations" between the Barkhane force and the armies of the five Sahel countries (Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad).
The French general's remarks come just days before the end of his one-year term at the head of Barkhane. He clarified that "the majority of Barkhane operations were conducted in a combat support framework, meaning there were military units from Barkhane collaborating in these operations." He noted, "I witnessed experiences worthy of highlighting as they demonstrated how strong the integration between the Barkhane force and African forces was and how it enabled results against very significant adversaries."
General Conruyt emphasized that France will continue to support the armies of the Sahel region, both within the framework of Barkhane and through Takuba, the European military operation composed of elite soldiers from several European armies (currently comprising 600 soldiers, half of whom are French), aimed at training the armies of the Sahel countries. France aims to transition from frontline combat against jihadists to executing support and accompaniment operations (intelligence, drones, fighter planes, etc.), a method to reduce risks and compel the countries in the region to take on greater responsibility for their security.
