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Operation Serval

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See also: African-led International Support Mission to Mali and EUTM Mali

Operation Serval
Part of the 2012 Northern Mali conflict and the War on Terror

French troops arriving in Bamako.
Date11 January 2013 – ongoing
Location
Mali
Result Ongoing
Belligerents

 France  Mali

Supported by:
 Belgium
 Canada
 Chad
 Denmark
 Germany
 Italy
 Netherlands
 Spain
 Sweden
 United Arab Emirates
 United Kingdom

 United States

Islamists

Commanders and leaders

France François Hollande

France ADM. Édouard Guillaud		 Iyad ag Ghali[1]
Omar Ould Hamaha
Mokhtar Belmokhtar
Abdel Krim †[2]
Strength
2,900 in total are mobilized in the operation, including 2,000 ground soldiers[3]

Elements of:

  • between 5,000 and 10,000 fighters (Ansar Dine)[4]
  • 1,000 fighters (AQIM)[4]
  • 500 fighters (MOJWA)[4]
Casualties and losses
France 1 killed[5]
1 Gazelle helicopter lost[6]		 213 killed[5][7]
72 vehicles destroyed[6]


Operation Serval (French: Opération Serval) is an ongoing French military operation in Mali.[8] The aim of the operation is to stop and ultimately defeat an aggressive Islamic militant rebellion in the north of Mali,[9] which had begun a push into the center of Mali.[10]

The operation is named after the medium-sized African wild cat species Serval.

Background

Main article: Northern Mali conflict (2012–present)

In January 2012, following an influx of weapons that occurred after the Libyan civil war, Tuareg tribesmen of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) began a rebellion against Mali's central government.[11] In April, the MNLA said it had accomplished its goals and called off its offensive against the government, proclaiming the independence of Azawad.[12] In June 2012, however, the MNLA came into conflict with the Islamist groups Ansar Dine and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa after the Islamist began imposing Sharia in Azawad.[13] By 17 July, MOJWA and Ansar Dine had pushed the MNLA out of all the major cities.[14] On 1 September 2012, the town of Douentza, in the Mopti Region, until then controlled by the Ganda Iso militia, was taken by the MOJWA,[15] and on 28 November 2012, the MNLA was pushed out of Léré, Timbuktu Region, by Ansar Dine.[16]


Forces committed

French Forces

French Air Force

Initially the French Air Force deployed two Mirage F1 CR Reconnaissance from the 2/33 Savoie Reconnaissance Squadron and six Mirage 2000D fighter jets, which were already part of the French military Opération Épervier in Chad. Additionally the Air Force deployed three KC-135 Stratotanker planes, as well as one C-130 Hercules and one Transall C-160 transport planes from the French airbase in N'Djamena.[17] On 13 January four Rafale fighter jets of the 1/7 Provence Fighter Squadron flew from the Saint-Dizier Airbase in France to attack targets in the city of Gao. The Rafale planes then proceeded to N'Djamena and are to remain based there for the duration of the conflict.[18] By 16 January the French Air Force dispatched two additional KC-135 Stratotanker planes and two Harfang UAVs from the 1/33 Belfort Reconnaissance Squadron to N'Djamena.[19] To transport Army troops to Bamako the Air Force used the Airbus A310 and A340 of the 3/60 Estérel Transport Squadron. On 23 January a detachment of Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air was deployed to the airport in Bamako to provide security for the French Air Force assets stationed there.[20] On 25 January the Air Force deployed two additional Rafale fighter jets to N'Djamena, bringing the total to six Rafales in the theater of operations.[21]

French Army

French Army forces deployed include one company of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment, an Armored Cavalry platoon of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment and one company of the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment.[17] On 14 January, the French Army Light Aviation transported Eurocopter Tiger HAP attack helicopters from the 5e Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat to Mali.[22] Furthermore a company from the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment and soldiers from the 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment and the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment, which are all currently deployed as part of Operation Unicorn in Ivory Coast left Abidjan in a convoy of 60 vehicles for the Malian capital of Bamako.[23][24] The Commander of the French Land Forces general Bertrand Clément-Bollée announced that a company of the 92nd Infantry Regiment equipped with VBCI Infantry fighting vehicles has been sent to Mali. An additional three companies equipped with VBCI and one squadron equipped with Leclerc main battle tanks could be sent on short notice if required.[25] An armored company of the Marine Infantry Tank Regiment is being deployed to Mali as are CAESAR self-propelled howitzers.[26][27] On 21 January a company of the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment arrived in Bamako to provide security for the allied airhead.[28] Ground operations are commanded by Brigadier General Bernard Barrera, commanding officer of the 3rd Mechanized Brigade.[29]

The following units of the French Army are currently in Mali:

French Navy

The French Navy deployed five Breguet Atlantic long-range reconnaissance aircraft operating from Dakar in Senegal and transported two companies of the 92nd Infantry Regiment along with their equipment and military materiel on the Mistral class amphibious assault ship Dixmude from Toulon to Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire.[30] The Dixmude was escorted on her journey by the D'Estienne d'Orves class corvette Le Hénaff.[31]

Special Forces

Allied nations

These are the forces committed by the countries that support France (in alphabetical order).

  •  Chad: On 16 January the Chadian government announced that it will deploy 2000 troops: one infantry regiment with 1,200 soldiers and two support battalions with 800 soldiers. The Chadian forces will not be part of the African-led International Support Mission to Mali but will be integrated into the French command structure.[35][36][37]
  •  USA: The US Air Force has established an air bridge between the Istres-Le Tubé Air Base in the South of France and Malian capital Bamako using three C-17ER Globemaster III transport planes to ferry French equipment and troops to Mali. The planes are from the 3rd Airlift Squadron, 436th Airlift Wing based at Dover Air Force Base.[47] A small contingent of American troops will provide flight support operations at Bamako.[48] On January 26th, The US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta informed French Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian that the "US Africa Command will support the French military by conducting aerial refueling missions as operations in Mali continue,"[49]

Operations

The operation began on 11 January 2013 with French Army Gazelle helicopters armed with 20 mm cannons from the 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment attacking a rebel column near Sévaré. French forces suffered one casualty when a Gazelle attack helicopter came under small arms fire and one of the two pilots was hit. The pilot, Lt. Damien Boiteux, later died of his injuries. The other pilot managed to fly the helicopter back to base, but the aircraft was written off as lost due to the damage sustained.[50][51]

By 12 January, hundreds of French troops were involved in the military operation in Mali,[52] with special focus in the Battle of Konna. The Malian army claimed that, with their help, it had retaken Konna, which it had lost a few days earlier.[53] French airstrikes appeared to stop the rebel advance to the south which prompted the intervention[54] and destroyed an Ansar Dine command post near Konna.[55]

France asked the U.S. to speed up its contribution by sending drones to improve surveillance over the vast area of northern Mali. The Pentagon is reported to be studying the French request.[54] Meanwhile the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom announced that his country would lend logistical support to the operation.[56] ECOWAS troops preparing to deploy to Mali also decided to move up their arrival date to 14 January at the latest.[54]

According to Human Rights Watch, 10 civilians were killed when Malian forces fought to recapture Konna.[57]

On 13 January, French planes bombed rebels' positions in Gao. Air strikes hit a fuel depot and a customs house being used as a headquarters by the Islamist rebels. Dozens of Islamist fighters were killed.[58] A Malian security source put the number of dead fighters at 60.[59] On 15 January, the French defense minister confirmed that the Mali military had still not recaptured Konna from rebel forces, despite earlier claims that they did.[60]

On 15 January, French special forces entered the strategically important central town of Markala[61], describing it as "secured" on the 19 January.[62] The French and Malian forces launched a major ground offensive into the North of the country for the first time on 16 January.[63] Along with French help, Mali military took back the control of Konna on 18 January. On 21 January the Malian military, with the aid of French air support, took possession of Diabaly.[64]

On 25 January it was reported that a combined force of French and Malian troops captured the town of Hombori, which lies 100 miles south of Gao. French forces also bombed Islamist troops and their supply stores around Gao.[65]This resulted in the destruction of two Islamist bases with fuel stocks and weapon dumps.[66]

On the morning 26 January French forces captured the airport at Gao and also seized the main Wabary bridge over the Niger River into Gao.[67][68]French special forces are were also in action against rebels that had melted into the local population.[69]During the next few hours the French-Malian forces assaulted the town of Gao backed by French warplanes and helicopters.The Islamists lost a dozen fighters while the the French did not take any any losses or injuries.A Malian army spokesman said on the 27 January that "The Malian army and the French control Gao today."[70]

On the 27 January French forces captured Timbuktu without resistance after Islamist fighters fled the city to avoid French airstrikes.[71]

Reactions

In the wake of the French deployment, ECOWAS said that it had ordered its African-led International Support Mission to Mali to be deployed immediately, the UN Security Council said that the previously planned UN-led force would be deployed in the near future,[citation needed] and the European Union said it had increased preparations for sending a military training mission, EUTM Mali.[72]

UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon hoped on 12 January that the French government's decision would "be consistent with the spirit" of UN Security Council resolution 2085 adopted in December.[73] Algerian foreign ministry spokesman Amar Belani expressed support for the Malian transitional authorities, and "noted that Mali has asked, in line with its sovereignty, for friendly powers to reinforce its national capacities to fight terrorism".[74]

Although most of the French political forces approve the operation, on 12 January, Former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin says "none of the conditions for success are met".[75]

Germany could take part in any European training mission to Mali to help its government prepare troops to counter the insurgents, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on 14 January. German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle ruled out the possibility of German armed forces taking part in a combat mission in Mali, but he also said Germany was prepared to help train the Mali Armed Forces.[76]

On 14 January, the Tuareg separatist MNLA declared it would fight alongside the French and even the Malian government to "end terrorism in Azawad". The spokesman also declared that the MNLA would be a more effective force than those of the neighboring West African nations "because of our knowledge of the ground and the populations".[77]

The German geographer Christophe Neff stated that without the Operation Serval the Islamic rebellion would have captured Bamako by the end of January 2013.[78] Mathieu Guidère, a scholar of Islam and the Arab world at the University of Toulouse said in an interview published in the newsmagazine Jeune Afrique that without the French military intervention the state of Mali would have fallen.[79]

On January 26, during the CELAC and European Union summit in Santiago de Chile, Colombia and Chile both expressed support for the French military intervention in Mali. Colombia's president, Juan Manuel Santos, stated that "Colombia has suffered so much from terrorism that it can not disagree with this action."[80]

France has said that the reason for the operation is because otherwise it would allow "a terrorist state at the doorstep of France and Europe,"[81] to which Israeli UN ambassador, Ron Prosor responded at the UN Security Council debate, "If Mali is on France’s doorstep, Gaza is in Israel’s living room."[82]

See also

References

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  19. ^ http://www.marianne.net/blogsecretdefense/
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  65. ^ "Mali crisis: Troops 'take northern town of Hombori'". BBC. 25 January 2013. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Text "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21203731" ignored (help)
  66. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21203731
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  77. ^ "Mali conflict: France has opened gates of hell, say rebels".
  78. ^ "Sur les débuts de l'Opération Serval".
  79. ^ "Mathieu Guidère : "Sans l'intervention française, l'État malien tombait"".
  80. ^ "Francia le expresó a Santos apoyo frente al proceso de paz en Colombia".
  81. ^ Mali conflict: France boosts troop numbers
  82. ^ Israel’s UN envoy: If Mali is on France’s doorstep, Gaza is in our living room
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