France's military presence in West Africa and a surprising global crime ring bust
7 - 13 June 2021
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FRANCE REVIEWS ITS SAHEL STRATEGY
Thousands of French military personnel are currently on deployment around the world, but their presence in the Sahel region (western and north-central Africa) is due for “a profound transformation”.
On Thursday, Emmanuel Macron announced an end to Operation Barkhane, which was launched in 2014 to stamp out Islamic extremism and strengthen governance. However, Barkhane’s termination is not a ‘mission accomplished’ moment for Paris since the multi-year effort ultimately failed to deliver results.
In his speech, the French president said the Sahel had become “the epicentre of international terrorism” in recent years and blamed regional authorities for not taking charge. “We cannot secure certain areas because some states simply refuse to assume their duties. Otherwise, it is an endless task,” Macron explained.
The idea now is for France to build coalitions as well as use its troops to train local police officers and soldiers. Analysts are sceptical, though, since jihadist attacks in places like Burkina Faso and Niger have increased in violence and frequency. An additional complication is the coup in Mali - Colonel Goita has overthrown two governments in the past nine months.
According to International Crisis Group, France’s Sahel strategy should focus on reducing tensions among rural communities, rely less on heavy-handed military tactics, and encourage reform while rooting out corruption. The problem is that such a programme requires hundreds of millions of euros and Barkhane has already burned through vast resources.
On the home front, it’s becoming more difficult for Paris to garner public support for these costly overseas operations. Many French people say Sahelian insurgencies aren’t a direct threat to them, and others want their leaders to stop interfering in the affairs of former colonies.
FAKE APP TAKES DOWN CROOKS
Details of a Hollywood-esque crime bust coordinated by Australia, Europol and the FBI were revealed this week. ‘Trojan Shield’ saw more than 800 people arrested, tons of drugs and 250 guns seized, millions in cash grabbed, and even thwarted murder plots.
At the heart of the global sting was a messaging app called ANOM. The suspected crooks believed it was an encrypted service that was secret and untraceable. The reality is ANOM was developed by Australian police and the FBI, who were following all the text exchanges for nearly three years (Yes, this operation sounds very similar to The Wire!).
ANOM could only be found on mobiles bought on the black market through recommendations. These handsets had been stripped of phone call and email functions, meaning texting was the sole method of communicating. The scheme kicked off when the cops persuaded informants to boast about the app and share bugged devices.
Apparently ANOM’s underworld users were so confident of the app’s safety that they didn’t bother using codes and openly discussed their nefarious activities.
But while the police forces are celebrating Trojan Shield’s success, lawyers are raising questions about the ethics of the operation - especially regarding the surveillance of hundreds of innocent people and non-targets.
Have a wonderful week ahead! Stay curious, Sara x