Sahel Research Group Report
August 29, 2022
Contributors: Hélène Marecal
French soldiers boarding a transport airplane of the Interarmy Transit Detachment (DETIA), in Gao, amid the French military drawdown with troops leaving the last bases in Mali, June 28, 2022. Source VOA.
Executive Summary
The last elements of French-led Task Force Bakhane withdrew from Menaka in mid-August 2022.
The German government announced on 12 August 2022 that its participation in the UN military mission in Mali (MINUSMA) would be suspended until further notice after Malian authorities did not allow German military planea access to its airspace.
France expects continued joint military operations by Mali and Wagner Group as recently observed in April 2022 near Gossi, Mali.
Rumors of a growing informational war, in which Bazoum is trying to play the role of arbiter between Mali and France.
Evidence of a growing informational war
After the establishment of Wagner in the Central Africa Republic, where approximately 2,100 mercenaries committed a large number of abuses after the call of President Touadéra in 2018, this phantom army is reportedly financed by Evgueni Prigogyne, who owns a mining company (Lobaye Invest), a news agency (RIA FAN), a press group (Patriot), and troll farms (such as the Internet Research Agency, and his NGO (the Foundation for the Protection of National Values). A super empire that has become the enemy of France with the desire to conquer Africa through "a strategy of eviction of France". Their modus operandi is clear, Wagner signs a contract with the government of a failed state, ensures its protection, secures access to raw materials, and conducts major campaigns of manipulation of public opinion.
"They [Wagner] have three pillars: fighting, getting rich and disinformation," explains journalist Ksenia Bolchakova.
According to Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a businessman, Wagner may have 56 countries in his sights ranked by their ability to tip. Wagner uses the anti-French sentiment of the painful legacy of colonialism, he builds strategies of making polls and even kompromat, moreover, he broadcasts propaganda films like "Tourist." Wagner is the meeting point between the world of Soviet intelligence and of organized crime. That is why Florence Parly, the former Minister of the Armed Forces, announced that France must "defend itself in the information field"; but the big question is whether we can defend ourselves against an authoritarian government. Their watchword is lies and they are used to not respecting international law so France must fight with transparency and quickly.
At the end of 2020, Facebook shut down a few fake accounts that were attacking the French forces. But the main event of the informational war took place in April when after leaving the camp of Gossi, an announcement on a fake Twitter account pointed out that they had discovered a mass grave whose author was the French army, a video was also published showing bodies covered by sand. The purpose of this announcement was to accuse France of war crimes.
However, alerted, the French army had sent a drone that had filmed the scene in which we can see white people (Russian mercenaries) burying bodies and others who filmed them. This video was published and the attempt to discredit and instrumentalize was denounced. This attempt was made by the Wagner group with the support of Mali. As a result, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was forced to acknowledge in early May the existence of a trade agreement between Wagner and Mali.
Twitter account from an alleged Russian troll, which was later removed. Source: Twitter
After that, the Twitter account of the likely Russian troll was removed. According to the French military, the arrival of the Wagner group in Mali has led to an increase in these fake accounts, which are intended to attack the French government and highlight the Malian and Russian governments with Wagner. In addition, Wagner's mercenaries were recently observed in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
The French military claimed on April 22, 2022, to have filmed Russian mercenaries burying bodies near the Gossi base in Mali after the departure of French troops. Source: Handout/French Army general staff/AFP
The capture of a major EIGS protagonist by Task Force Barkhane
On the night of June 11-12th, Task Force Barkhane forces captured Oumeya Ould Albakaye, a prominent jihadist leader in Mali's Tri-border area. Albakaye was the EIGS leader for Gourma, in northern Mali, and Oudalan, in northeastern Burkina Faso. He committed a large number of abuses against Burkinabés and Malians. This capture is thus the farewell gift to the Malian junta before leaving the Gao base on August 15. France remains involved in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel in Niamey, Niger, and in N'Djamena, Chad. A final demonstration in Gao took place asking for the express departure of Barkhane forces. France is definitely leaving Mali, where the situation has deteriorated significantly since the beginning of the year. It will have lost fifty-nine of its soldiers during nine years of involvement in the territory.
Official French communique released on August 15th, 2022 announcing the end of the Task Force Barkhane in Mali. Source: Ministere Des Armees website.
The Malian junta denounces to the UN Security Council an alliance between France and terrorism
In a letter addressed to the president of the UN Security Council, the Malian junta denounced on August 15 "acts of aggression" perpetrated by French forces as well as
The Malian government claimed that it had "recorded more than fifty deliberate cases of violation of Malian airspace by foreign aircraft, notably operated by French forces" since the beginning of 2022.
The transitional government goes much further, stating that it "has several pieces of evidence that these flagrant violations [...] were used by France to collect intelligence for terrorist groups operating in the Sahel and to drop weapons and ammunition to them. France's reaction is unprecedented: "The junta is taking the incredible and the implausible to a new level by making accusations that are obviously unfounded. Mali, for its part, is requesting an emergency meeting regarding its allegations without providing any proof to date. The commander of the Task Force Barkhane forces, General Bruno Baratz, considers these remarks insulting stating
"[It is} a bit insulting to the memory of our fifty-nine [French] comrades who fell fighting for Mali and also to the memory of all the Malians who fought alongside us, but also the personnel of MINUSMA, of the African forces of MINUSMA who died fighting against terrorism. - French Gen. Bruno. Baratz, former TF Barkhane commander.
On social networks, reactions to these allegations highlight contradictory statements by Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, such as that a Chinook helicopter attributed to the French Barkhane forces was observed en route to Tessit and subsequently fled. However, French forces do not possess this type of helicopter.
Wagner Mercenaries in Gao
On August 16, 2022, the German government warned of the suspected presence of Wagner mercenaries at the Gao base recently vacated by Barkhane forces. It said this presence could change the game for German forces' involvement in the field. Indeed, a German contingent is in Gao not far from the former French base. As a result, the German ambassador to Mali has contacted the Malian foreign minister and the UN. According to reliable sources, it was a plane delivered by the Russians to Mali at the airport in Gao that attracted attention, with some thirty men unloading equipment that could not be part of the Malian army. A thorough examination is underway in order to corroborate their assumption.
@gauthier_Pasq
The informational war continues to rage between Mali and France. This time it is a Twitter account that is in the sights of the Malian government accused of being a fake account in the image of the troll accounts of the Russian group Wagner @gauthier_Pasq is accused of disseminating false information on behalf of the French government. Indeed, this Internet user divulges numerous allegations against the Malian government under Russian influence and victim of numerous terrorist attacks. For example, the highlighting of a contradiction linked to the positioning of the new Malian Prime Minister who proclaims a virulent speech against France while having his children studying at HEC and ESSEC. For the moment Twitter has not closed the account and we cannot rule on the veracity of the accusations made by this account. The research of who is Gauthier Pasquet remains ongoing.
References
LePoint.fr - Au Sahel, les Français mènent la guerre de l’information contre les Russes Jean Guisnel – 6 juin
France Info - Mali : l'armée annonce la découverte d'un charnier que la France attribue à des mercenaires russes - 23 Avril-AFP
Marianne.net - Mali : la France capture un haut cadre du groupe État islamique - 15 Juin
https://www.marianne.net/monde/afrique/mali-la-france-capture-un-haut-cadre-du-groupe-etat-islamique
LeMonde.fr - Mali : les derniers soldats français de l’opération « Barkhane » ont quitté le pays - 15 août https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2022/08/15/mali-les-derniers-soldats-francais-de-l-operation-barkhane-ont-quitte-le-pays_6138101_3212.html
About the Author
The Sahel Research Group formally initiates its research efforts with a contribution from ACSIA research associate, Hélène Marecal, a first-year graduate student at Sciences Po Grenoble. Her research interests in the Sahel region are focused on violent extremist organizations, French foreign policy, and Great power competition.