Operation Barkhane is France’s Counterterrorism Forces in Africa.

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATICT  TIMES

French troops killed a top commander of an al-Qaeda-linked armed group in West African nation Mali this week, France’s Defence Minister announced.  Bah Ag Moussa, the military head of the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), was identified as the target. The operation was carried out by several helicopters and the support of ground troops,  French Defense Minister Florence Parly said.  Moussa was killed in the Ménaka region, in northeastern Mali, late Tuesday afternoon . “He was considered to be one of the main jihadist military leaders in Mali,” the Army ministry said in a statement on Friday. Surveillance drones helped French forces in Mali identify Moussa’s truck in the Ménaka, region, the Army ministry said. 

  “This is a very good operation. Determination paid off in the end.”

–Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, said on BFM TV Nov. 13, 2020. 

Terrorisme: “Nous devons protéger nos valeurs avec une très grande fermeté – Jean-Yves le Drian

France Operation Barkhane has thousands of troops in West Africa to help fight extremist groups.

France conducted its first deployment of its new counter-terror special forces mission in the Africa Sahel region this month dubbed Task Force Takuba that will include several elite European troops among them from Sweden, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom.  The French-led special forces mission based in northern Mali comes as terror and violent attacks linked to militant Islamic groups in the Africa Sahel  region have increased dramatically during the past few years.

“Task Force Takuba is currently carrying out its first operation with Malian soldiers, facing terrorist groups, to protect civilian populations and gradually allow the installation of essential public services, such as schools. By early 2021, Sweden will join us. The Italians have also decided to join us and are currently evaluating the conditions of their engagement. Europe is making a concrete commitment to the Sahel. The Czech Parliament has confirmed it. Task Force Takuba will soon welcome its Czech brothers in arms. This unprecedented group of European special forces accompanying Malian soldiers continues to grow in strength.

-Florence Parly,  France Minister of the Armed Forces