The French Defense Minister, Florence Parly, was in Washington, DC this week, for talks about the nuclear non-proliferation deal with Iran and the situation in the Sahel region of Africa where France leads an anti-terror military operation.
Standing with US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Parly went straight to the point of her visit. She came with good news and bad news. Referring to the fall of Raqqah, a joint US and French operation, Parly said, “. . . we have to celebrate that, even if we know that the fight against terrorism is not yet won.”
Terrorist attacks in the Sahel are nothing new. Ten years ago, Mali was a destination for European tourists until Tuareg rebels and Islamist extremists started taking them as hostages. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), an international peacekeeping force of 15,000, is regularly attacked by various militant groups. Additional efforts by the French didn’t stop the hostilities. Instead, the conflict which began in northern Mali spilled over into the neighboring countries, and across the entire Sahel region.
After his election in May, Emmanuel Macron made the Sahel an immediate priority. He visited Mali twice and made the diplomatic effort to build the Sahel G5 (Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad) into a cooperative effort with coordinated armed forces. The United States opposed a UN resolution to provide funding for it and the region was destabilized by Trump’s withdrawal of US aid to health care providers who offered contraceptives or anything related to abortion. A report, in English, posted at the French Defense Minister’s website, confirms the civilian population’s worry about their access to health care.
Another report, in French, posted on October 18, notes the escalating hostilities in the frontier area where the borders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger come together. It cites the ambush that killed four Americans as the most dramatic example.
France 24, in English, reported on the ambush with details. The militants who attacked may have been tipped off by sympathizers among the civilian population.
Radio France International reported in English about the travel ban that Trump imposed on Chad which isn’t doing any good, either.
“Another country involved in the anti-Islamist drive is Chad, which has been affected by Trump's travel ban, to the dismay of its leaders who recently withdrew their troops from Niger.
"We mentioned the fact Chad is an important, effective ally engaged in this area of the Sahel and that therefore we must help Chad answer all the questions that have been posed by the US administration," Parly said.”
RFI also said that Parly defended the nuclear non-proliferation deal with Iran. Her public statements emphasized the enduring alliance between France and the US which is safe for now. However, Macron’s long-term vision for France, and its place in the world, is based on “operational autonomy,” “digital sovereignty,” “national independence,” and “multilateral diplomacy.”
Sauve qui peut. Every man for himself.