Mali coup brings the blues for Barkhane
The recent coup in Mali raises further questions over the future of the French-led mission against jihadis in the Sahel
Optimism surrounding the French-led counter-insurgency mission in the Sahel seems to be in short supply. Only two months after President Emmanuel Macron proclaimed victory was within reach following a slew of ‘spectacular results’ in Operation Barkhane, the democratically elected government in Mali succumbed to a swift military putsch on 18 August.
Western officials worry that the resulting political paralysis is providing a catalyst for jihadist violence and exacerbating an increasingly intractable military situation.
Jihadist groups are entrenched in the vast and ungoverned borderlands between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The Western troop presence has steadily increased since 2014 –
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Defence Notes
-
![Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft]()
Israel defence ministry pushes ambitious spending plans for tanks, drones and KC-46 aircraft
The procurement and acceleration production plans – some of which still await approval – across the air and land domains will aim to strengthen the operational needs of the Israel Defense Forces.
-
![Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts]()
Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts
More than 40,000 military personnel from 19 participating nations took part in the 11th iteration of the biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre multi-domain event which was held across Australia and in Papua New Guinea.
-
![US Africa Command targets logistic solutions]()
US Africa Command targets logistic solutions
AFRICOM is seeking IT systems and supply chain management solutions to enhance interoperability and standardise logistical processes in its area of responsibility.
-
![Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending]()
Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending
Germany’s Rheinmetall released its 1H 2025 results on 7 August, continuing the strong growth of recent years. A particular highlight of the result’s presentation was the Skyranger air defence system for which the company is predicting sales of about US$8.2 billion from the German Government before the end of the year.
-
![Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave]()
Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave
Vehicle and technology companies are reporting substantial growth compared to the first half of 2024. Italy’s Fincantieri saw revenues jump 24% for the first half of the year compared to 2024 and Thales up 6.8% for the same period. General Dynamics reported second quarter revenue growth of 8.9% for the second quarter compared to last year and MilDef reported organic order intake growth of 58%.
