A French soldier was killed on Saturday in Mali in a mortar attack on the Operation Barkhane military camp in Gao, the Elysée announced on Sunday. A press release announces the “very strong emotion” of President Emmanuel Macron on the announcement of the death of Brigadier Alexandre Martin, of the 54th artillery regiment of Hyères, and “confirms France’s determination to continue the fight against terrorism in the region, alongside its partners.”.
The soldier who died on Saturday afternoon is the 53rd French soldier killed in combat in the Sahel since 2013. His death comes as four French soldiers were injured in Burkina Faso on Tuesday when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded. as their vehicle passes.
Four deaths in 2021
In 2021, there were three combat deaths and one accidental death among French soldiers deployed in the Sahel. The anti-jihadist force Barkhane, present since 2014 in Mali and whose mission is extended to the Sahel, is at the heart of major bilateral political issues, against the backdrop of accusations of recourse by Mali to the services of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, as well as the reorganization of the French military presence in the country.
Faced with the open crisis with the Malian junta, France must “find the way” to pursue the objective of the anti-jihadist fight in West Africa, French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly said on Thursday.