Several executives of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) group have died or have been captured in recent weeks by the French force Barkhane and its partners, French Minister of the Armies Florence Parly said on Friday (July 2).
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In accordance with rumors which have multiplied in recent weeks, Abdelhakim al-Sahraoui, "
a very media figure in the EIGS known for its very strict application of Sharia law
" and his beheading videos, recently died, said Florence Parly, during 'a meeting with the Association of Defense Journalists (AJD). "
We have had confirmation that he died in May in circumstances still unknown,
" she explained.
In addition, as part of an operation called Solstice, conducted in June by Barkhane, the Nigerien armed forces and the European task force Takuba, two lieutenants of the emir of the EIGS Adnan Abou Walid Sahraoui were taken prisoner. : Sidi Ahmed Ould Mohammed alias Katab al-Mauritani, as well as Dadi Ould Chouaib, alias Abou Dardar, whose capture has already been announced recently.
Six jihadists were also "
neutralized
", said the minister, including the Tuareg cadre of EIGS Almahmoud Al Baye alias Ikaray, presented as the "
leader of a group of fighters in the Menaka region, on the border with Niger
”.
France is preparing to begin a gradual disengagement from the Sahel.
The Barkhane force (5,100 men currently) will disappear in favor of a device refocused on the fight against terrorism and combat support for local armies, via the group of European special forces Takuba which has yet to gain strength.
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According to the project studied by Paris, France plans to leave bases in northern Mali (Tessalit, Kidal and Timbuktu) by the end of 2021 to concentrate its presence on the rights-of-way of Gao and Ménaka, closer to the area known as “
Three borders
”, on the borders of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as in Niamey, the capital of Niger. Paris also intends to continue its hunt for the leaders of jihadist groups and has claimed several important successes in recent months.