Mali, where 13 French soldiers died in an accident on 25 November, has been a victim of terrorism for years. In the face of these jihadist groups, the country, where the violence persists - they have even spread to central and southern Mali, as well as Burkina Faso and Niger - has seen a series of deployments and multiple international military missions. .

From Operation Serval to Operation Barkhane

On January 11, 2013, France launched Operation Serval with 1,700 soldiers, planes and helicopters to stop the advance of jihadist columns that control the North, and support the Malian troops face the threat of an offensive towards Bamako. In three months, Serval, carried out drumming, routed the armed groups.

In August, Serval was replaced by Operation Barkhane, extended to the entire Sahel-Saharan belt, a vast area like Europe. Barkhane, named after a dune in the form of a crescent under the influence of wind, is currently the largest foreign operation of the French army, with about 4,500 soldiers deployed.

A total of 38 French soldiers were killed during these operations, ten with Serval, 28 with Barkhane.

"The security situation is obviously difficult," Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, recently admitted during a visit to the Sahel. "The fight against terrorism is a long struggle, we are armed with patience, will and new ideas".

All the experts agree that the French military presence in the region will last for years.

Deployment of approximately 13,000 peacekeepers in Mali since 2013

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) deployed as of 1 July 2013, taking over from the International Support Mission in Mali (Misma) formed by the Economic Community of African States of the West (Cédéao).

The Minusma, with a strength of about 13,000 peacekeepers, is one of the most important missions of the United Nations. Regularly attacked, she paid a heavy price: she lost more than 200 soldiers, including more than a hundred in hostile actions.

A joint G5 Sahel force seeking stability

In November 2015, the leaders of the G5 Sahel organization (Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad) meeting at the summit decided to create a joint force to fight the jihadist groups that are trying in the region.

Faced with the deterioration of the situation in the center of Mali, bordering Burkina Faso and Niger, won in turn by the violence, they reactivate the project in 2017.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, lent his support to this initiative, with Paris seeing it as a possible model for African states to take charge of their security.

But the implementation is marked by funding and organizational problems and accusations of human rights violations by the troops of the joint force.

Set up an under-trained Malian army

The European Training Mission of the Malian Army (EUTM Mali), launched in February 2013, brings together 620 soldiers from 28 European countries, with a training mission of the Malian army, without taking part in the fighting.

Its mission is to rebuild an under-trained and under-equipped Malian army by providing expertise in operational readiness, logistical support, intelligence and training of combat units in Koulikoro camp, 60 km to the north. East of Bamako.

Its mandate was extended in May 2018 by the European Union for two years, with a budget almost doubled to 59.7 million euros. Its mission has been extended to the formation of the G5 Sahel force.

With AFP