An armored vehicle from Operation Barkhane was destroyed Saturday morning by an explosive device, in the Tessalit region, near the Algerian border.
Two French soldiers, a first class brigadier-chef and a first class parachute hussar, both belonging to the 1st parachute hussar regiment of Tarbes, were killed.
A third soldier remains in critical condition.
Two French soldiers were killed on Saturday during an operation in northern Mali.
A third soldier is injured.
The two victims belonged to the 1st parachute hussar regiment of Tarbes.
This drama brings to 45 the number of French soldiers who died in combat in the Serval and Barkhane operations, which numbered some 5,000 soldiers.
How were these soldiers killed?
A statement from the French Presidency announced "the death of two French soldiers, Brigadier-Chief First Class ST and Hussar Parachutist First Class Arnaud Volpe, after the destruction of their armored vehicle by an improvised explosive device (... ) during an operation "during a fairly traditional control operation, in the region of Tessalit, near the Algerian border.
"The President of the Republic once again salutes the courage and determination of the French soldiers deployed in the Sahel, alongside their brothers in arms from the many countries engaged jointly in this difficult mission," adds the Elysee.
"The three members of the vehicle were very seriously injured and immediately taken care of", specified shortly after the staff of the French armies.
Two have succumbed to their injuries, and "their comrade's condition is stable, but his vital prognosis remains reserved."
The Ministry of the Armed Forces offers its condolences to the families, relatives and brothers in arms of the parachutist hussar 1st class Arnaud VOLPE and the brigadier-chef 1st class ST of the 1st RHP. @ Florence_parly pays tribute to these 2 soldiers who died for the France.
#MPLFhttps: //t.co/j11b5WrPiF
- Ministry of the Armed Forces (@Armees_Gouv) September 5, 2020
What consequences for the French forces in Mali?
This is a new blow for the French army, whose last death dates back to July 23.
In November 2019, France had lost 13 soldiers in an accident between two helicopters in operation in Mali.
In recent months, the French army and those of the African countries of the G5 Sahel (Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad) have stepped up the offensives, in particular in the area known as the "three borders" between Mali, Niger. and Burkina Faso.
They claimed the "neutralization" of dozens of jihadists, including the emir of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqmi), the Algerian Abdelmalek Droukdal, in June.
With a few rare exceptions, the French army never specifies whether it has killed or arrested jihadist fighters, preferring the generic term "neutralization".
Why are France worried about the political situation there?
The death of these two soldiers comes in a particular context, when Malian soldiers took power in mid-August, overthrowing Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, who had been in power for seven years establishing a junta.
Emmanuel Macron calls for “the establishment, without delay, of a civil political transition in Mali, a sine qua non of an effective fight against terrorists.
"
This putsch poses a great difficulty when we arrive at results, "recently admitted a senior French military official." It's a bit discouraging, "he admitted." We must not lose what we have gained by terms of security and quickly find a political solution.
If we can't keep the tempo safe, it's a step backwards.
The junta agrees. ”The French army assures us, however, that operations on the ground and cooperation between“ Barkhane ”and the Malian forces have not yet been affected by the coup.