The joint anti-terror force recently set up by the Alliance of Sahel States, made up by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, is primarily meant to respond to the destabilizing operations of the Algerian regime in the region.
The establishment of the joint military force, dubbed the “United Force of the Alliance of Sahel States” and based in Niamey, Niger, is composed of 5,000 soldiers from the three Sahel countries, and will operate under a unified command. Burkinabe General Daouda Traoré has been appointed as commander of the military contingent.
This anti-terror force will conduct coordinated, large-scale air, ground, and intelligence operations against armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State and against the destabilizing operations of the Algerian regime across the region.
The establishment of this force comes following recent alarming intelligence reports citing an underground group established by the Algerian regime to carry out covert operations aimed at destabilizing Sahel countries.
The Algerian secret unit is suspected of providing terrorist intelligence and logistic support and even sophisticated weapons, according to several American and European intelligence experts.
According to “Sahel Intelligence” media platform, this secret paramilitary force, code-named “KL-7” is composed of Algerian special forces and foreign mercenaries. It has conducted subversive missions in Algeria’s southern neighboring countries in coordination with terrorist groups active in the Sahel.
Money trail and communication intercepts confirm the links of this clandestine group with jihadist networks operating in the region including Al-Qaeda, Islamic State or pro-Algerian Tuareg factions.
This secret unit is believed to be behind several recent violent actions falsely attributed to local insurgents. These include attacks targeting civilian & military infrastructures, assassination of community leaders, and fuelling ethnic tensions in Sahel countries such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and even Libya and Nigeria.
The Algerian regime seeks to weaken Sahel governments by stirring up regional instability to maintain its dominant position and its grip on Sahel countries.
