Barkhane

Barkhane
TM1972 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Operation Barkhane
Active	August 2014 – November 2022
Country	France, multinational partners
Type	Counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism
Theater	Sahel (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania)
Commanders	François Hollande, Emmanuel Macron, Florence Parly, Édouard Philippe
Casualties	French and allied personnel and civilian casualties

Barkhane Operation Barkhane was a French-led counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism mission in the Sahel region launched in August 2014 to succeed Operation Serval and coordinate actions across Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mauritania. The deployment involved French armed forces alongside troops and intelligence from regional and international partners including the G5 Sahel joint force, with strategic ties to organizations such as the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the European Union and NATO. The operation aimed to disrupt affiliates of Al-Qaeda, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and transnational criminal networks operating along trans-Saharan routes.

Background and Origins

Barkhane emerged after the 2012–2013 insurgency in Mali that culminated in the 2013 French intervention known as Operation Serval, the 2012 Tuareg rebellion, and the 2011 destabilization following the Libyan Civil War and collapse of the Gaddafi regime. Key catalysts included the rise of jihadi groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar Dine, and Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), the 2013 Battle of Konna, and seizures of northern Malian cities like Kidal. France framed Barkhane within diplomatic frameworks involving the EEAS, the African Union, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to support regional states facing insurgency and organized crime.

Objectives and Mandate

Barkhane's declared objectives were to deny sanctuary to jihadist organizations, stabilize borders, and bolster regional security capacity through partnership with the G5 Sahel, the armies of Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mauritania, and coordination with MINUSMA and the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM). Politically, the mission intersected with French foreign policy under presidents François Hollande and Emmanuel Macron, counterterrorism policy shaped by ministers like Jean-Yves Le Drian and Florence Parly, and international law instruments including UN Security Council Resolution discussions involving Russia, United States, and China. The mandate encompassed direct action operations, intelligence sharing with partners such as DGSE-linked services, and training programs similar to those of Operation Takuba and bilateral military assistance agreements.

Force Structure and Participating Nations

Barkhane principally comprised units from the French Army, French Air and Space Force, French Navy, National Gendarmerie, and French special forces such as COS. International contributors engaged through liaison, training, or embedded roles, including elements from Chad, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Sweden, Czech Republic, and bilateral cooperation with United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). The regional dimension featured the creation of the G5 Sahel joint force with troop commitments from Mali Armed Forces, Niger Armed Forces, Burkinabè Armed Forces, Chadian Armed Forces, and Mauritanian Armed Forces. Logistics and basing relied on facilities at N'Djamena, Gao, Timbuktu, Kidal, Niamey, and air assets operating from Évreux-Fauville Air Base and Charles de Gaulle Airport for strategic lifts and intelligence platforms like MQ-9 Reaper drones and A400M Atlas transports.

Major Operations and Timeline

Following its August 2014 launch, Barkhane coordinated notable actions against AQIM, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), and affiliated groups, linking back to earlier campaigns such as the 2013 Battle of Timbuktu and 2014 operations in Kidal Cercle. High-profile engagements included cross-border raids, airstrikes, and special forces operations in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, with incidents such as the 2018 rescue operation near Tongo Tongo and strikes targeting leaders like figures associated with AQIM and ISGS. The mission unfolded alongside MINUSMA deployments after the 2015 Algiers Accord and in the context of regional upheavals like coups in Mali 2020, 2021 coup, and the 2022 coup. Key timeline markers include intensified operations in 2017–2019, the 2020–2021 deterioration of Malian political relations with Paris, and the 2021 multinational project Operation Takuba aimed at European special forces cooperation.

Criticism, Controversies, and Political Impact

Barkhane generated debate involving French domestic politics with parties such as La République En Marche!, Les Républicains, Rassemblement National, and activists linked to Médecins Sans Frontières and Amnesty International. Critics invoked incidents like civilian casualties reported in localities such as Baraouéli and allegations of mission creep described by commentators referencing Suleiman al-Houthis-era analogies, while regional governments and juntas in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso accused France of neocolonialism and partiality. Diplomatic tensions surfaced with withdrawals or expulsions of French forces following exchanges involving leaders like Assimi Goïta, Ibrahim Traoré, and discussions in institutions such as the United Nations Security Council and the European Parliament. Scholarly critiques referenced works by analysts from International Crisis Group, Chatham House, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and think tanks connected to RAND Corporation and Brookings Institution about efficacy and unintended consequences.

Withdrawal and Aftermath

In 2022 France announced a strategic drawdown culminating in the termination of Barkhane in November 2022, transitioning responsibilities to bilateral arrangements, redeployments to Gabon, and support for regional forces and partner-led initiatives like the G5 Sahel and European training missions. The aftermath involved reconfiguration of security assistance with actors such as Russia via private military contractor links to Wagner Group in regional capitals and renewed engagement by United States, European Union, and African institutions. Post-withdrawal dynamics included continuing insurgent activity, shifts in regional alliances involving Algeria, Morocco, Turkey, and debates in forums like the United Nations General Assembly and regional summits of the African Union on stabilization, humanitarian response led by ICRC and UNICEF, and reconstruction programs by agencies such as the World Bank and African Development Bank.

Category:France–Africa relations