Read more about the article UN MINUSMA Mission: European Withdrawal and the Future of Mali
Info Flash

UN MINUSMA Mission: European Withdrawal and the Future of Mali

This Info Flash examines the motives behind the withdrawal of German and French forces from MINUSMA and analyses the reasons behind Mali's strengthened cooperation with Russia. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) was established to address the instability caused by jihadist and separatist groups in Mali and tackle long-standing structural issues. The mission's objectives include stabilizing population centers, rebuilding the security sector, implementing disarmament programs, facilitating national dialogue, and ensuring fair elections. Today, Mali is experiencing a deteriorating security scenario with escalating violence, intercommunal clashes, and jihadist attacks. In this context, Mali has turned to Russia for support through the presence of Wagner Group mercenaries, increasing security risks which further influenced the decision to withdraw European contingents. This raises more questions about the country’s future and the MINUSMA mission. Finally, recommendations are provided to enhance the MINUSMA mission's effectiveness and improve Mali's security situation.

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5 June 2023
Read more about the article France’s strategic pivot to Europe and its impact on the international fight against terrorism in the Sahel region
Info Flash

France’s strategic pivot to Europe and its impact on the international fight against terrorism in the Sahel region

This Info Flash outlines the history of Operation Barkhane, offering a general overview of French and European efforts to maintain stability in the Sahel region over the past ten years. The principal causes of France’s disengagement are analysed taking into account external factors, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war at the end of February 2022. Because of the sensibility of this issue, Professor Luca Ranieri, one of the most prominent scholars dealing with security problems in the Sahel region, builds in an interview a critical assessment of Operation Barkhane. Understanding the main weaknesses of this initiative poses extreme usefulness in order to avoid repeating the same errors in the future.

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16 February 2023
Read more about the article Lessons of Operation Barkhane for Future European Engagement in the Sahel
Info Flash

Lessons of Operation Barkhane for Future European Engagement in the Sahel

On August 15, 2022, the last French soldiers involved in Operation Barkhane left Malian territory. The operation began nearly a decade earlier and had the primary objective of fighting against terrorist groups in the region (Burgess, 2018, p. 5). The situation in Mali, however, appears worse now than before. Jihadist violence continues to escalate, anti-Western sentiment runs rampant, and Russian Wagner mercenaries have established a firm footing in the country.

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30 January 2023
Read more about the article European forces to relocate from Mali to Niger in fight against jihadist insurgents
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European forces to relocate from Mali to Niger in fight against jihadist insurgents

A contingent of some-2400 European troops are set to leave Mali and continue counter-insurgency operations from Niger, as the former colony’s President Mohamed Bazoum said on February 18th. The Sahel area has been constantly plagued for years by Islamist groups, with hundreds of victims and millions of displaced. In the past decade, France, at the helm of a European coalition, has shown a keen interest in collaborating with former colonies to contrast the threat, but the missions have encountered both logistical problems and local dissatisfaction with foreign presence, with Malian armed forces spokesperson Souleymane Dembele lamenting the inefficacy of European troops and Nigerine anti-foreign leader Maïkol Zodi considering them «as an occupying force».

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2 March 2022
Read more about the article The European Peace Facility (EPF) as a Union Response to Regional Conflicts: A Case Study on Training and Equipping Mali Forces.
Food For Thought

The European Peace Facility (EPF) as a Union Response to Regional Conflicts: A Case Study on Training and Equipping Mali Forces.

Although the EU is an organisation that has been active for well over half a century, its approach to the international scene has undergone several changes. Many times, the EU has alternated between moments of strong presence on the international scene and mo- ments in which its presence was decidedly more marginal, often determined by the individualism of its MS or by the opposition of other international actors. This has led to a discrepancy in the academic perception of the EU. Some scholars recognise a decisive European influence on all current international developments. Other academics believe that the power of the EU is merely superficial and that the EU does not affect the national and international superpowers in an incisive way.

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12 January 2022