Mali mainly, 2012 coup, drugs & more

[davidbfpo]

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Source: ACLED once more!

[davidbfpo]

Actually a larger contingent (250 men) is going to Mali later this year to join the UN Mission MINUSMA; there is a RAF Chinook detachment, with three helicopters, with a 94-man based in Gao since 2018 - who support the French-led Operation Barkhane.

MINUSMA plans to have a second more active component, which will be spearheaded by the British contingent, who will carry out long-range reconnaissance patrols of up to 30 days deep into jihadist territory and be on standby for rapid deployment anywhere in the country.Citing their commander:

With a manoeuvrable force, we can be more proactive in anticipating attacks, projecting force and deterring and going in where there are confrontations...This will be a more robust, versatile part of the force that will enable us to respond decisively. The British contribution will be the tip of the spear of our adaptation.

Link (behind a pay-wall):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...ne-war-terror/

An earlier story reported a Light Dragoons contingent would perform the long-range patrols, with light armoured cars and presumably 4x4 vehicles. The deployment will be for three years and was originally announced in July 2019. Not everyone is convinced, a Conservative MP who has served in Afghanistan and Iraq commented:

Our soldiers need to know why we are doing something, preferably for how long and what success looks like. And if we don’t have an end date, then we need to be clear about ‘generational missions’ and what that may entail in terms of kit, personal and training, and potential casualties that come from those missions.

Link (ditto):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...ritain-stands/

[davidbfpo]

Several different viewpoints on the now delayed UK deployment to Mali, an announcement that missed me amidst the pandemic media focus. A deployment that I consider unwise, which is more for non-Mali reasons - notably supporting France and others who have a military commitment there (mainly trainers and SOF).

Spotted today a House of Commons Library analyst examines the forthcoming role:https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8903/

An interesting passage within by ex-UK Army officer:

General Sir Richard Barrons, a former Commander of Joint Forces Command (UK armed forces), also gave evidence to the Committee. Discussing the events of 2012, when he was UK Director of Military Operations, he concluded “the net effect is that unless you can meet a problem like Mali on the scale and in terms of the nature of the challenges it presents, it will not fix itself”. On the proposed deployment of 250 military personnel, which he described as tokenistic, he questioned the wider thinking within Government towards the Sahel: “these minor contributions to Mali are not in support of a strategy of any kind other than ‘we should do a bit more UN peacekeeping’”.

On 29th April an American viewpoint on the wider lessons available, but seemingly ignored so far and cites what happened in Chad over a long period: https://www.theamericanconservative....rica-strategy/

From RUSI an upbeat view and explanation:https://rusi.org/commentary/building...-security-mali

Then a quite different RUSI view:https://rusi.org/commentary/uk-joins...le-fight-sahel

By a RAND analyst in March: https://wavellroom.com/2020/03/12/the-uk-in-mali/