Operation Barkhane



Operation Barkhane is an anti-Islamist operation in Africa's Sahel region beginning in July 2014. It consists of a 3,000-strong French force, which will be permanent and headquartered in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. The operation has been designed with five countries, and former French colonies, that span the Sahel: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

The operation is named after a crescent-shaped dune in the Sahara desert.

Background
The operation is the successor of Operation Serval, the French military mission in Mali, and Operation Epervier, the mission in Chad.

Aim
According to French Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the main objective of Operation Barkhane is counter-terrorism: "The aim is to prevent what I call the highway of all forms of traffics to become a place of permanent passage, where jihadist groups between Libya and the Atlantic Ocean can rebuild themselves, which would lead to serious consequences for our security." French President, François Hollande, has said the Barkhane force will allow for a "rapid and efficient intervention in the event of a crisis" in the region.

The operation will target Islamist extremists in Mali, Chad and Niger, and will have a mandate to operate across borders.

French Forces
The French force will be a 3,000-strong counter-terrorism force with 1,000 soldiers indefinitely in Mali. These soldiers will be focused on counter-terrorism operations in northern Mali another 1,200 soldiers stationed in Chad and the remaining soldiers will be split between a surveillance base in Niger, a bigger permanent base in Ivory Coast, and some special forces in Burkina Faso.

The French forces will be supplied with 20 helicopters, 200 armoured vehicles, 10 transport aircraft, 6 fighter planes and 3 drones.