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Following France and Sweden, Britain announced on Monday 14 November the withdrawal of its forces from Mali. British troops, stationed in the country as part of Minusma, the UN mission, are nevertheless known for their high-tech equipment that allows many victories against armed groups.
The UK will not end its three-year deployment in Mali within UN mission for stabilization of the region. On British Parliament on MondayMinister Delegate for the Armed Forces James Heappey reasoned himself: ” two coups in three years “in Bamako has” undermined international efforts to achieve peace “, reports our correspondent in London, Emeline wine.
He also accuses the Malian government of its proximity to the Russian mercenary group Wagnercalled by Bamako to counter the rise of jihadist groups in the region and accused of assault. London” cannot deploy his army in a country whose government is not inclined to work for stability and security “, explains James Heappey.
The minister did not give an exact date for the withdrawal of the British troops stationed in Gao. But he will next week attend a regional conference in Ghana to continue the international partnership in favor of the stabilization of the Sahel.
Highly equipped troops have yielded many victories
As of 2020, the British contingent that will pack up has around 300 soldiers, including 16 women. In the group there are troops of cavalry, experts specialized in explosives, men in fighting position and medical personnel.
In the Sahel, we recognize these British soldiers from Minusma by their numerous vehicles armed with advanced technology. With the field as a profession, they especially organized missions in hard-to-reach areas: in the Gao region, but also recently in the sector of the three borders (Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso), where the jihadists are numerous, reports our regional correspondent, Serge Daniel.
In the crossed villages and hamlets, their first objective was to calm and protect the population. But they also came into contact with the jihadists. According to the UN mission in Mali, thanks to their patrols, weapons, motorcycles and other equipment were seized, jihadists were arrested and others were forced to take the tangent.
In the field, the British with their equipment had up to three weeks of autonomy, allowing long patrols.
► To also read: France: Emmanuel Macron formalizes the end of Operation Barkhane
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