Sahel: United States pledges to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation
U.S. Special Forces soldiers and Chadian servicemen during the U.S.-led joint Flintlock exercises in 2015. (Illustrative image) REUTERS / Emmanuel Braun
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
French President Emmanuel Macron and his American counterpart Joe Biden met on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, to explain themselves after the crisis caused by the breach of the contract on Australian submarines.
To ease tensions, the United States indicated in a
press
release, jointly with the Élysée, "that
they are committed to strengthening their support for counterterrorism operations
" led by Europeans in the Sahel region.
A new step for this collaboration which has lasted for more than eight years.
Advertising
Read more
The American military presence
is significant, but above all it is old, since Washington has been at France's side since the start of Operation Serval in 2013. Support in logistics and above all in terms of intelligence, ISR, the acronym English for "intelligence, surveillance and recognition".
There is also strategic lift.
In total, 20% of passengers and 10% of intra-theater freight is provided by the US Air Force.
In-flight refueling is 40% American, which allows the French fighter to spread over the entire area of operation.
But the most crucial support is intelligence, so it is essential to strike the jihadists.
There is the observation thanks to the American reaper drones based in Niger in Agadez and Niamey.
In addition, there are the means of electromagnetic listening, and
the United States deploys
small, very efficient twin-engine aircraft in the areas of interest
in the Sahel
, they pick up all radio communications in their path.
Is France hoping for reinforcement?
Not necessarily, say French high-ranking officers.
This little sentence, included at the very end of the joint press release, they whisper, aims above all to reassure and underscore that the Franco-American bond is not stretched, quite the contrary.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
United States
France
Sahel
Terrorism