On January 2, 2021, an improvised explosive device (IED) struck a French military vehicle in Mali’s Menaka region, killing Sergeant Yvonne Huynh, 33, and Brigadier Loic Risser, 24, the French presidency announced.
Huynh, the first female soldier killed in the Sahel since France’s intervention in 2013, and Risser, both from an intelligence regiment, died during a reconnaissance mission.
France’s Ongoing Mission
The attack raised France’s death toll in Mali to 50 since Operation Barkhane began in 2013 to counter Islamic jihadists in the Sahel. The 5,100-strong Barkhane force collaborates with troops from Mali, Mauritania, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Niger in the G5 Sahel group. Another soldier was injured in the blast but is expected to survive, per the presidency’s statement.
Recent Jihadist Attacks
The al-Qaida-linked Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) claimed a similar IED attack days earlier, on December 28, 2020, killing three French soldiers in central Mali. GSIM cited France’s military presence, cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, and President Emmanuel Macron’s defense of free speech as motives, according to web reports from Reuters.
Macron’s Resolve
President Macron, expressing “great sadness,” reaffirmed France’s commitment to the “battle against terrorism” in the Sahel. The region, plagued by jihadist groups like GSIM and Islamic State, saw over 4,000 deaths in 2020, per UN data, underscoring the conflict’s intensity.
Context and Challenges
France’s Sahel operations, costing €1 billion annually, face growing scrutiny amid rising casualties and local anti-French sentiment. The deaths, reported by France 24, highlight the dangers of Barkhane’s mission as Mali grapples with jihadist insurgencies and political instability following a 2020 coup.
