Mali Archives - Armoured & Luxury

French army in key Mali withdrawal

May 28, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

France has begun a key stage of its military withdrawal from Mali, four months after sending troops to push Islamist rebels out from the north.

A convoy of dozens of lorries left a base outside the capital, Bamako, on its way south to Ivory Coast.

France began withdrawing some of its 4,000 troops from the country in April.

They plan to gradually hand over to the Malian army and a UN peacekeeping force, which will deploy in July ahead of planned nationwide elections.

Saturday’s withdrawal comes just two days after Islamist rebels targeted an army barracks and French-run uranium mine in neighbouring Niger, killing 21 people. French special forces helped Nigerien soldiers end a hostage siege at the barracks on Friday.

It is not known if the attacks will affect French troop deployments.

Mali’s Ansar Dine militants blacklisted by US

March 23, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The US government has placed Mali’s Islamist group Ansar Dine on its terror blacklist because of continued links to al-Qaeda’s North Africa branch.

The decision freezes any of its US assets and bans business with it.

Ansar Dine was one of a number of militant groups that took control of northern Mali in the aftermath of a coup, one year ago on 22 March 2012.

French troops, which intervened in January to oust them, are still fighting insurgents in the mountains.

France currently has 4,000 troops in Mali, backed by thousands of soldiers from Mali, Chad and other African countries.

Following the coup, several Islamist groups took over major cities, including Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu, and imposed strict Islamic law.

Suicide attacks

Ansar Dine has received backing from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb (AQIM) since its creation in late 2011 and “in its fight against Malian and French forces”, the US State Department statement said.

Mali crisis: 330 UK military personnel sent to West Africa

February 3, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The UK is to deploy about 330 military personnel to Mali and West Africa to support French forces, No 10 has said.

This includes as many as 40 military advisers who will train soldiers in Mali, and 200 British soldiers to be sent to neighbouring African countries, also to help train the Malian army.

French-led forces are continuing their offensive against Islamist militants who seized northern Mali last year.

International donors have pledged $455.53m (£289m) to tackle militants.

The 330 military personnel comprise 200 soldiers going to West African nations, 40 military advisers to Mali, and 90 support crew for a C-17 transport aircraft and a Sentinel R1 surveillance plane. None will have a combat role.

Mali conflict US begins French troop airlifts

January 24, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The US military has begun airlifting French soldiers and equipment to Mali to support their operation against Islamist militants.

Five US flights had already landed in the capital, Bamako, with more planned in the coming days, a spokesman said.

France began its intervention nearly two weeks ago with the aim of halting the militants’ advance south.

It plans to hand command of the operation to a West African force which has some 1,000 soldiers on the ground.

An estimated 2,000 French troops are currently in Mali, with 500 more expected.

Mali conflict: France to increase troop numbers

January 16, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

President Francois Hollande says more French troops are to be deployed in Mali to support the 750 in the country countering an Islamist insurgency.

Mr Hollande said new air strikes overnight had “achieved their goal”. One target was the town of Diabaly, which rebels entered on Monday.

West African military chiefs are meeting in Mali to discuss how an alliance with the French will work.

France began its intervention on Friday to halt the Islamists’ advance south.

Late on Monday, the UN Security Council unanimously backed the intervention.

‘Really scared’

Mr Hollande, on a visit to the French regional military base known as Peace Camp in Abu Dhabi, said: “For now, we have 750 men and the number will increase. New strikes overnight achieved their goal.”