French President Macron declares end of Barkhane Operation In Sahel

A "profound transformation" of the presence in the Sahel of the French military Barkhane forces.

This will include the closure of French army bases and the establishing of the international anti-jihadist alliance, as announced on Thursday by the president of France Emmanuel Macron.

"We will initiate a profound transformation of our military presence in the Sahel, the modalities and timetable of which will be specified in the coming weeks, I will do so by the end of June, and I will initiate this work in the coming days.

"It will involve the transition to a new framework, that is to say, the end of the operation Barkhane, as an external operation for the implementation of an operation of support.

"Support of cooperation to the arms of the countries of the region that wish it, and the implementation of a military operation, and "an international alliance associating the States of the region and all our partners strictly focused on the fight against terrorism."

The ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in the Sahel will be carried out via special forces structured around the Takuba operation. The armed forces will include  several hundred French soldiers -- along with other African, European and international forces.

This special unit will also have the vocation to carry out interventions strictly to fight terrorism.