Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday September 24 the withdrawal of 1,500 troops based in Niger "by the end of the year." The decision comes one year after the departure of the so-called Barkhane forces from Mali and seven months after the Sabre special forces left Burkina Faso. France has been fighting Islamist militants in the Sahel region since 2013.
Macron’s announcement comes amidst deteriorating relations with the military juntas who have gained power in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger over the past three years. At the same time, the regimes in these countries have developed ties with Russia, with Mali's junta known to have called on the Wagner mercenary group.
As political and military dynamics have shifted in the Sahel, the security situation in the region has seriously deteriorated. As our chart based on ACLED data, reported by Le Grand Continent, shows, Mali has seen a surge in violence against civilians since 2022. Between January 1, 2022 and July 21, 2023, the number of civilians killed by armed groups more than doubled compared with the average for previous years. In fact, over 3,000 civilian casualties have been recorded in Mali since the beginning of 2022. Attacks by jihadist groups accounted for 45 percent of casualties, and those by state forces for 43 percent, while local militias and the Wagner group were identified in 6 percent and 3 percent of incidents, respectively.
Written by: Tristan Gaudiaut
Translated by: Anna Fleck
