President Emmanuel Macron announced the deployment of 220 troops to the Burkina Faso-Mali-Niger tri-border zone “accustomed to operating in the Sahel” last week. The reinforcements will focus on strengthening the tri-border area with local forces to continue the fight against terror groups operating in the zone. Land-based units with experience in the region and equipped with the skills needed to effectively challenge the Islamic State have been selected. France began their present military involvement in the Sahel in 2013 with Operation Serval in Mali which progressed into Operation Barkhane in 2014.
Source: https://thedefensepost.com/2020/01/17/france-220-troops-sahel-barkhane/
