Sweden joins the fight against the jihadists in Mali.
On Friday February 5, the country announced that the deployment of 150 soldiers within the European force Takuba, which accompanies the Malian army in combat, has already started and will be completed by the end of the month.
"Most of our force is now in Mali," a Swedish army spokesman confirmed to AFP on Friday evening.
Sweden, which is not a member of NATO, announced in March 2020 its intention to participate in Takuba, responding to France's call.
The Swedish Parliament had given the green light in June to send 150 men with a possible reinforcement of 100. The mandate ends on December 31, 2021.
The Swedish force, including three Blackhawk helicopters, will be based in Ménaka, in Malian Liptako, a region close to the border with Niger and Burkina Faso where several jihadist groups linked to the Islamic State in the greater Sahara (EIGS) are concentrated and to Al-Qaeda.
"The main task of the Swedish special forces is to act as a rapid reaction force when something happens. Otherwise, our aim is to assist, advise and accompany the Malian security forces," explained in a statement General Anders Löfberg, head of the Nordic special forces.
The end of the arrival of Swedish special forces is expected around the last two weeks of February, previously indicated the spokesman for the staff of the French armies, Colonel Frédéric Barbry, confirming the arrival of the first forces. Swedish specials.
Two other European countries have so far joined the Takuba force: the Czech Republic and Estonia.
Composed of elite units, it aims to train the Malian armies and broaden participation in the anti-jihadist fight led by France for eight years in the Sahel.
Paris has been considering for several months to relieve Operation Barkhane, which currently deploys 5,100 soldiers.
The Swedish force will come in support of all of Takuba, including a Franco-Estonian group in Gao and the other Franco-Czech in Ménaka, said Colonel Barbry.
The arrival of heavy helicopters was particularly eagerly awaited by the French army, which faces a very mobile jihadist enemy in a huge area.
The Nordic country was already present in Mali via the UN force of Minusma, with 215 soldiers.
Despite the presence of Barkhane, the 13,000 soldiers of Minusma (the UN peacekeeping mission) and the G5 Sahel Joint Force, the Sahelian countries suffer frequent and deadly jihadist attacks.
With AFP
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