In Niger, France is testing new military strategy fighting Islamist militants in Sahel

The recent joint operation between dozens of troops from Niger and France’s legendary Foreign Legion reflects the new approach President Emmanuel Macron wants to use for his country’s mission in West Africa’s deeply troubled Sahel region.
The joint operation has been symbolic of France’s new mode of cooperation with Niger, part of a strategy which Paris hopes will show the key lesson from Mali: support local forces by providing the equipment and expertise they need, but don’t substitute for them. “In Niger and everywhere in Africa, the idea is now different from what was done in Mali, “said the commander of the French forces in the Sahel, General Bruno Baratz, adding that ”today our help starts with what the partner needs.” After nearly a decade, French troops were forced to pull out of Mali — where they had been fighting against Islamist militants in the francophone ex-colonial region — following a military coup. The junta then, according to Western governments, called on Russia’s Wagner mercenary group for help.
France’s exit from Mali and later also from neighboring Burkina Faso has encouraged the jihadists to regain freedom of movement in the border region, prompting Macron to order lower-profile operations that are more specifically tailored to the needs of partner countries in this increasingly complex and fluid security environment. The new strategy is implemented in Niger, which has accepted 1,500 French soldiers on its soil to bolster its armies at a time when the Islamic State is once again a threat. “I believe the French army is trying to use Niger as a laboratory for new relationships” in Sahel, and “be a supporter rather than a leader” said Michael Shurkin from 14N Strategies, a risk management company. “France is convinced it needs to be as discreet as possible,” he added.