Louis de Raguenel, edited by Ugo Pascolo
modified to
09:55, March 08, 2022
The General Staff announced on Monday the neutralization of the Algerian jihadist Yahia Djouadi, alias Abou Ammar al Jazairi. An important elimination for the French forces which intervenes in a tense diplomatic context between Paris and Bamako.
The Ministry of the Armed Forces revealed on Monday that it had “neutralized” in Mali, Yahia Djouadi, a senior member of Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb. An operation carried out by French soldiers from the Barkhane force on the night of February 25 to 26, 100 kilometers north of Timbuktu, described as “new significant tactical success” by the General Staff. A neutralization which occurs in a tense context with Bamako.
Bamako pushed for Barkhane to leave
The junta in power in Mali has indeed done everything lately to ensure that France leaves its territory. Even going so far as to disseminate untruths, according to which in particular the soldiers of Barkhane are not effective, behave badly. In a nutshell, the government wants to show that Mali can fend for itself against terrorism, almost forgetting that it was the French who trained, trained and tried to harden the Malian army for seven years.
Neutralization as proof of skills
For the Ministry of the Armed Forces, this operation shows the usefulness and the capacity of the French soldiers who now operate from countries bordering Mali. Capacities that the private military company Wagner does not have, which the Malian authorities brought in to ensure their security, and whose arrival had precipitated the reduction of the airfoil of the French presence. It is therefore an additional demonstration given to the Malian junta of what the French army can do and of which the putschist colonels decided to deprive themselves a few weeks ago.