Sahel countries negotiate with armed groups despite French opposition
France has failed to defeat militants in the Sahel. Now, regional governments are turning to talks to resolve the conflict
A soldier poses for a portrait during Operation Barkhane in Burkina Faso, on 13 November 2019 (Michele Cattani/AFP)
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Published date: 6 March 2021 10:34 UTC
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Last update: 2 weeks 1 day ago
On 16 February, during a two-day summit of leaders from west Africa in N'Djamena, Chad, French President Emmanuel Macron appeared via video link from inside the gilded Elysée palace to give France's view on the region's rampant insurgency.
After addressing heads of state from Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Mauritania, Macron, who recently increased the number of French troops in the Sahel to more than 5,000, told journalists the leaders had agreed that they could not negotiate with the commanders of two of the region's most notorious armed groups.