French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu responded to the harsh criticism from lawmakers by rejecting the idea that Paris' policy on Africa, including Operation Barkhane, has been a failure, and insisting that "it is a mistake to say that."
"Our army has never ceased to push back terrorist groups in the Sahel, saving thousands of lives on the spot and protecting those of the French from the threats of attacks on our soil," he said.
Lecornu claimed that the letter lacked concrete proposals on the issue, noting that one should at least pay tribute to what the military has achieved over all these years. According to the country's defense chief, the French aArmy's operations in the Sahel region have saved many lives and prevented various terrorist groups from further spreading their influence in the region and in Europe.
"No, we cannot speak of 'failure' when we look today at the security situation in Mali since the withdrawal of the French troops," he stressed, while admitting that "there are of course lessons to be learned, as in all crises and all military operations."
Earlier this week, a group of 94 French senators from different political parties signed an open letter to President Macron, highlighting the failure of the country's policies in Africa, specifically referring to Operation Barkhane in the Sahel region.
The French military was first deployed in Mali in early 2013 as part of Operation Serval, which successfully liberated cities in the northern part of the country from the yoke of Islamist groups. Operation Barkhane was designed to build on that "success" and extend the French military's operations to a large swath of the Sahel.
In 2022, the French military had to leave Mali, after relations between the two countries deteriorated. In November 2022, France's president announced the end of Operation Barkhane.
In March this year, the authorities of Burkina Faso announced the denunciation of the military assistance agreement with France, signed more than 60 years ago. The Burkina Faso’s Foreign Ministry also informed the French side that its military must leave the country within a month.
Paris is now experiencing a further downward spiral in relations with West African nations and its former colonies in the light of the situation in Niger, where the military leadership ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and took over the country on July 26. Following the events, France suspended all development and budgetary aid to the country.
On August 1, France's Foreign Ministry announced that the country would start evacuating its citizens and other European nationals from Niger, after protests near the French Embassy in Niamey. However, it was emphasized that the operation concerned only civilians, while the evacuation of French soldiers from Niger was not on the agenda.
According to analysts, the recent coup in Niger may have cost France its last ally in the Sahel. As of now, Niger hosts a French military force of up to 1,500 troops at the Niamey air base.
On August 3, the Nigerien leadership announced the termination of the military pacts and protocols signed with France, which had previously exercised colonial rule over the nation for more than 60 years.