INTELBRIEF

Intelbrief / IntelBrief: France Reconsiders Force Posture in the Sahel Amid Surging Violence

February 11, 2020

IntelBrief: France Reconsiders Force Posture in the Sahel Amid Surging Violence

A press conference following the G5 Sahel summit in Pau, southwestern France, Monday Jan.13, 2020. France is preparing its military to better target Islamic extremists in a West African region that has seen a surge of deadly violence. (Guillaume Horcajuelo/Pool Photo via AP).
  • Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) is now seen by France and Sahelian countries as the greatest security threat in West Africa.
  • Reports about a drawdown of U.S. troops in West Africa and ISGS’s growing strength have led France and some countries in the region, including Chad, to increase their military presence throughout the Sahel.
  • The increased attention to ISGS and its allies could draw attention away from al-Qaeda affiliated groups in Mali and other parts of West Africa.
  • The primary target of recent ISGS attacks have been civilians in Burkina Faso, where the Burkinabe army lacks the capacity to protect the population.

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