The French operation Barkhane mobilizes 4,500 men in the Sahelo-Saharan strip, a vast area like Europe, to fight against armed groups. But after six years of uninterrupted presence, and 41 dead on the French side including 13 soldiers killed on November 25, the horizon is getting darker.

"In 2012, the French managed to repel the jihadist attack that was headed for Bamako, but since the attacks have multiplied and spread, they are going down to Burkina Faso and Niger," said Virginie Herz, international columnist for France 24. The death toll: several thousand dead and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons.

A situation that calls into question the commitment of France. More and more Malians are hostile to foreign presence in the country, some comparing the French forces to an army of occupation. "At the moment there is no question of withdrawal, but new modalities," says Virginie Herz. Emmanuel Macron has announced that he will reconsider the strategy of the French anti-jihadist forces in the Sahel. Two options are possible: involve more European partners or rely more heavily on local armies.

But according to our expert, the outcome of the Sahel conflict can not be only military. "We need a political solution: we need peace in Mali and, above all, ensure the economic and social development of the country because it is poverty, the feeling of abandonment and bad governance that make the bed of terrorists".