How did the war in the Sahel start?
The root causes of instability in the Sahel go back to the colonization of Africa, in particular the arbitrary establishment of borders by the colonizers, who did not take into account the distribution of the different ethnic groups.
However, the current conflicts are a direct consequence of the fifth Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali in 2012.. On January 17, 2012, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) – which claims a territory of 822,000 km2 in northern Mali – attacked the Malian army. He had the help of fighters from Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the forces of the Salafist group Ansar Dine.. He declared independence from Azawad on April 6, 2012, after taking the cities of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal, among others.
When and why do the European forces intervene?
On January 10, 2013, the rebels took the city of Konna, located on the virtual border between the north of Mali and the 'Green Mali', to the south, where the capital, Bamako, is located.. At the request of the Malian army and with the agreement of the United Nations Security Council, France launched Operation Serval on January 11 in order to contain the Islamist threat..
Spain lent a C-130 Hercules aircraft from the Spanish Air Force with 50 support people on January 18, to help transport personnel from the International Support Mission to Mali. It later added a C-295 aircraft to help with troop movements in the country.
On February 18, 2013, the Council of the European Union established the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali).. Its objective is to provide military training to the forces in Mali and to the armies of allied African countries, to enable them to carry out military operations to reduce the threat from terrorist groups.. Spain sent between 40 and 50 instructors for this purpose.
In 2014, Operation Barkhane replaced Operation Serval with more troops from the international community.
Who are the main armed groups today?
On one side are the rebels. Currently, there are many other Islamist groups active in the Sahelian strip, formed from splits from other groups, disbandments or alliances with Al Qaeda or the Islamic State.. They have carried out and continue to carry out attacks against civilians and soldiers on the ground.
On the allied side, in the front line are the armies of several African countries in the Sahel, such as Mali, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania (the so-called “G5 Sahel”).
The French army was the first from a Western country to intervene in 2013, with the material support, and gradually with troops, from countries of the international community, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain.
How many human losses are there so far?
The Malian army has suffered the most massive losses, with an estimated 1,500-2,000 soldiers killed between 2012 and 2022.. Between 2015 and 2020, Burkina Faso registered 436 dead soldiers. France has lost 59 soldiers in 10 years of conflict, and Spain mourns the death of Antonio Carrero Jiménez.
The different jihadist groups suffered casualties of at least 2,800 combatants between 2013 and 2022.
Among civilians, it is estimated that at least 11,000 people have died during these 10 years of conflict.
How is the situation today?
In Mali, the feeling grew that Barkhane's troops, especially the French, were not effective in countering the terrorist threat. The Malian government was willing to negotiate with the jihadist leaders. For this reason, Emmanuel Macron warned that the French troops would withdraw if the military junta came to negotiate. In the end, it was the entry of the Wagner group that accelerated the departure of the troops in 2022.. There are 1,500 French soldiers who were transferred from the Mali bases to the one in Niamey (Niger).
Following the July 26 coup in Niger, which follows that of Burkina Faso in 2022, the European Union has lost another valuable ally in the Sahel.
All eyes are now on Russia, which is seeking to extend its influence in Africa and has the support of public opinion in those countries.