More than 50 ‘terrorists’ killed in French commando operations in Mali

[Vergennes]

More than 50 “terrorists” were “put out of action” in a series of operations conducted in Mali by forces deployed to Operation Barkhane between December 20 and January 5, the French Armed Forces Ministry said.

The first operation between December 20 and 21 had previously been announced by French President Emmanuel Macron.

In a helicopter-borne assault on a large camp in a densely forested area of central Mali’s Mopti region, “33 terrorists were neutralized by several dozen commandos supported by Tigre helicopters in fighting that lasted several hours,” the ministry said in a Thursday, January 9 release.

Previous AFP reporting put the location of the commando raid in the Ouagadou forest, 150 km (90 miles) from Mopti town.

At the end of the day on December 21, commandoes were attacked as they searched the area. A Reaper drone that was then supporting the operation conducted an airstrike “to neutralize seven GAT [armed terrorist group] fighters who had infiltrated by motorcycle.”

This was the first airstrike carried out by a French armed drone, and came just two days after Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly announced that the testing of remotely-piloted drones for armed operations was completed. France has a total of five Reaper drones. The three MQ-9 Reapers based near Niger’s capital Niamey are each capable of carrying two GBU-12 Paveway II 500-pound laser-guided bombs. France is due to receive six more Reapers that will be capable of firing Lockheed Martin’s Hellfire air-to-surface missiles in 2020, and the fleet is set to increase to 24 by 2030. Parly made the decision to arm France’s surveillance drones in September 2017.

A Malian gendarme and a member of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) who had been held hostage were freed, and “several vehicles, including one equipped with an anti-aircraft gun,” and a large quantity of weapons were ‘neutralized,’ the release said.

Another helicopter-borne assault was conducted on December 30, when a “gathering of several terrorists was spotted,” also in the Mopti region.

Supported by Tigre and Gazelle helicopters, Barkhane commandos put six “terrorists” out of action, while “three armed individuals fleeing the area” were struck by a Reaper drone.

A third operation was carried out overnight on January 4 to 5, this time in the Serma area. An airstrike conducted by a Mirage 2000 jet was followed by another helicopter-borne assault against a “GAT training site.” A dozen fighters were “neutralized” and around 15 motorcycles were destroyed.

https://thedefensepost.com/2020/01/10/mali-terrorists-killed-french-commando-operations-barkhane/

 

[Mentee]

Why is the mayonnaise Bush whacking locals?

 

[Myth_buster_1]

this is how french military gets its training.

 

[Ritual]

Probably just locals, labelled as terrorist

 

[Vergennes]

Probably just locals, labelled as terrorist

Locals armed with AKs,rocket launchers,anti air guns. Locals part of al qaeda,islamic state in the greater sahara,ansar dine,ansarul islam. Yeah right.

 

[Clutch]

More than 50 “terrorists” were “put out of action” in a series of operations conducted in Mali by forces deployed to Operation Barkhane between December 20 and January 5, the French Armed Forces Ministry said.

The first operation between December 20 and 21 had previously been announced by French President Emmanuel Macron.

In a helicopter-borne assault on a large camp in a densely forested area of central Mali’s Mopti region, “33 terrorists were neutralized by several dozen commandos supported by Tigre helicopters in fighting that lasted several hours,” the ministry said in a Thursday, January 9 release.

Previous AFP reporting put the location of the commando raid in the Ouagadou forest, 150 km (90 miles) from Mopti town.

At the end of the day on December 21, commandoes were attacked as they searched the area. A Reaper drone that was then supporting the operation conducted an airstrike “to neutralize seven GAT [armed terrorist group] fighters who had infiltrated by motorcycle.”

This was the first airstrike carried out by a French armed drone, and came just two days after Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly announced that the testing of remotely-piloted drones for armed operations was completed. France has a total of five Reaper drones. The three MQ-9 Reapers based near Niger’s capital Niamey are each capable of carrying two GBU-12 Paveway II 500-pound laser-guided bombs. France is due to receive six more Reapers that will be capable of firing Lockheed Martin’s Hellfire air-to-surface missiles in 2020, and the fleet is set to increase to 24 by 2030. Parly made the decision to arm France’s surveillance drones in September 2017.

A Malian gendarme and a member of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) who had been held hostage were freed, and “several vehicles, including one equipped with an anti-aircraft gun,” and a large quantity of weapons were ‘neutralized,’ the release said.

Another helicopter-borne assault was conducted on December 30, when a “gathering of several terrorists was spotted,” also in the Mopti region.

Supported by Tigre and Gazelle helicopters, Barkhane commandos put six “terrorists” out of action, while “three armed individuals fleeing the area” were struck by a Reaper drone.

A third operation was carried out overnight on January 4 to 5, this time in the Serma area. An airstrike conducted by a Mirage 2000 jet was followed by another helicopter-borne assault against a “GAT training site.” A dozen fighters were “neutralized” and around 15 motorcycles were destroyed.

https://thedefensepost.com/2020/01/10/mali-terrorists-killed-french-commando-operations-barkhane/

These aren't "terrorists"... They don't want to pay the colonial Tax to France!!

France is there collecting Blood Money... Through its African colonial Tax!!!!

French colonial tax still enforce for Africa
14.01.2015 15:26

After the French destroyed Guinea who had sought independence, the alternative was to pay a tax. No African country could estimate the effect this had on 14 different countries.

World Bulletin/News Desk

When Guinea demanded independence from French colonial rule in 1958, the French unleashed their fury with more than 3,000 leaving the country taking their enteire property. In addition, they destroyed anything that couldn't be taken – destroying schools, nurseries, public administration buildings, cars, books, medicine, research institute instruments, tractors were crushed and sabotaged, animals killed and food in warehouses were burned or poisoned. In effect they were sending a message to all other colonies that the consqueences for jrejecting France would be high.

Colonialism as an enduring stain in Africa’s history, and economic oppression continue to exist. An article by Mawuna Remarque Koutonin, peace activist and editor of SiliconAfrica.com addressed this practice.

The article called attention to an ongoing practice by which former African countries are forced to pay a colonial tax to France – even today. In fact, France continues to thrive on the practice, which extracts approximately 500 billion dollars from African countries each year.

As Koutonin notes, this outrageous tax deprives African economies of much needed funds, exacerbates debt, and strips their authority over their own natural reserves. But the detriments are more than just economic, as the ills of colonialism manifest in social ways that are equally devastating to the dignity and identity of the African people:

Sylvanus Olympio, the first president of the Republic of Togo, instead of signing the colonisation continuation pact with De Gaulle, instead agreed to pay an annual debt to France for the so called benefits of French colonisation. This prevented the French not destroying the country before they left however the amount estimated by France was so big that the reimbursement of the so called “colonial debt” was close to 40% of the country budget in 1963. Olympio’s dream was to build an independent and self-sufficient and self-reliant country but the French had him killed by a seargeant who was given a $612 bounty by the French embassy.

Locals armed with AKs,rocket launchers,anti air guns. Locals part of al qaeda,islamic state in the greater sahara,ansar dine,ansarul islam. Yeah right.

BS!

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Local Resistance killed by Invaders

 

[Vergennes]

These aren't "terrorists"... They don't want to pay the colonial Tax to France!!

France is there collecting Blood Money... Through its African colonial Tax!!!!

French colonial tax still enforce for Africa
14.01.2015 15:26

After the French destroyed Guinea who had sought independence, the alternative was to pay a tax. No African country could estimate the effect this had on 14 different countries.

World Bulletin/News Desk

When Guinea demanded independence from French colonial rule in 1958, the French unleashed their fury with more than 3,000 leaving the country taking their enteire property. In addition, they destroyed anything that couldn't be taken – destroying schools, nurseries, public administration buildings, cars, books, medicine, research institute instruments, tractors were crushed and sabotaged, animals killed and food in warehouses were burned or poisoned. In effect they were sending a message to all other colonies that the consqueences for jrejecting France would be high.

Colonialism as an enduring stain in Africa’s history, and economic oppression continue to exist. An article by Mawuna Remarque Koutonin, peace activist and editor of SiliconAfrica.com addressed this practice.

The article called attention to an ongoing practice by which former African countries are forced to pay a colonial tax to France – even today. In fact, France continues to thrive on the practice, which extracts approximately 500 billion dollars from African countries each year.

As Koutonin notes, this outrageous tax deprives African economies of much needed funds, exacerbates debt, and strips their authority over their own natural reserves. But the detriments are more than just economic, as the ills of colonialism manifest in social ways that are equally devastating to the dignity and identity of the African people:

Sylvanus Olympio, the first president of the Republic of Togo, instead of signing the colonisation continuation pact with De Gaulle, instead agreed to pay an annual debt to France for the so called benefits of French colonisation. This prevented the French not destroying the country before they left however the amount estimated by France was so big that the reimbursement of the so called “colonial debt” was close to 40% of the country budget in 1963. Olympio’s dream was to build an independent and self-sufficient and self-reliant country but the French had him killed by a seargeant who was given a $612 bounty by the French embassy.

BS!

Spamming a lie a thousand times will not make it true.

 

[Clutch]

Spamming a lie a thousand times will not make it true.

It exposes the truth hidden by the imperialists.... This news i referenced was from World Bulletin... BBC... And i can even reference academia.

Just because it makes you uncomfortable... Doesn't mean it's false.

 

[Pan-Islamic-Pakistan]

They are killing Tuareg bedouins, it is a war crime. Mali is ok with it because they have never got along with them.

RIP to the poor defenseless civilians.

 

[Vergennes]

It exposes the truth hidden by the imperialists.... This news i referenced was from World Bulletin... BBC... And i can even reference academia.

Just because it makes you uncomfortable... Doesn't mean it's false.

No,the "colonial tax" is from a random website called silicon Africa,spread by many other non credible sources and surely not from the BBC,the BBC article you love to quote has nothing to do with "colonial tax". So,yes spamming a lie a thousand time will not make it true.

They are killing Tuareg bedouins, it is a war crime. Mali is ok with it because they have never got along with them.

RIP to the poor defenseless civilians.

No,France is killing terrorists who are killing Malian,Chadian,Nigerian and Burkina civilians and soldiers you like it or not.

 

[Clutch]

No,the "colonial tax" is from a random website called silicon Africa,spread by many other non credible sources and surely not from the BBC,the BBC article you love to quote has nothing to do with "colonial tax". So,yes spamming a lie a thousand time will not make it true.

Here is your BBC article... I can provide even more BBC articles and other credible sources... Just because it makes you uncomfortable doesn't mean it's not true!!!

African migration: Is the CFA franc forcing people to leave?
By Christopher Giles and Jack GoodmanBBC Reality Check

• 25 January 2019
  
• Africa

Share this with Email Share this with Facebook Share this with Twitter Share this with Whatsapp

Luigi Di Maio, Italian deputy prime minister and leader of the populist Five Star Movement, has blamed France for impoverishing Africa and encouraging migration to Europe.

He accused the French government of manipulating the economies of mainly former French colonies in Africa, which use a form of the pre-independence currency known as a CFA franc.

"France is one of those countries that by printing money for 14 African states prevents their economic development and contributes to the fact that the refugees leave and then die in the sea or arrive on our coasts," said Mr Di Maio.

So what is the CFA franc and does it harm African countries?

• France summons Italian envoy over Africa remarks

Where is the CFA used?
The CFA is in fact split into two separate currency zones dating back to 1945.

Eight countries make up the West African Economic and Monetary Union and a further six are in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community.

Since 1999, the CFA franc (in both zones) has been pegged to the euro, with the financial backing of the French treasury.

The money itself, as Mr Di Maio correctly says, is printed by France - but the quantity is decided by the central banks of the two zones.

A French official sits on the boards of both central banks, which suggests France retains at least some influence over the decision making process.

Participation in the currency is voluntary.

But critics of the CFA point to preferential French access to African resources, granted as part of the setting up of the currency arrangement.

"France agreed to grant independence to its sub-Saharan Africa colonies," says Senegalese economist Ndongo Samba Sylla, "provided they accept to use the CFA franc and [France retained] a monopoly on their raw materials."

And French companies today still have a strong presence in the CFA currency zones.

Is it driving migration?
Most Mediterranean migration doesn't come from the 14 countries that use the CFA franc, 12 of which are former French colonies.

In 2018, Guinea was the largest country of origin, followed by Morocco - both former French colonies that don't use the CFA franc.

The Ivory Coast and Mali are the only countries of origin using the CFA franc that have contributed significantly to migration across the Mediterranean, accounting for 14.4% of the total last year.

Both these countries have experienced political unrest in recent years.

What does France do with African money?
The use of the CFA franc is highly controversial, with some saying it comes with a "French colonial tax".

• African protests over the CFA 'colonial currency'

But France doesn't tax African countries for using the currency.

It does, however, require countries to store 50% of all foreign exchange reserves with the French treasury, in the Bank of France, in something called an "operational account".

African countries can access the money in the French treasury when they like.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionActivists in Africa have called for the CFA franc to be abandoned
Mr Di Maio said France was using this system to finance French public debt.

But a French treasury official told BBC News the deposits of the central banks of West Africa and Central Africa were not being used to buy or pay off French debt.

African countries receive interest on their reserves of 0.75%.

But when inflation in the eurozone is higher than this, this is a poor return.

The reasons for keeping CFA reserves in France relate in part to relationships between African nations when the CFA was established.

"The problem was that there was a lot of mistrust among the African countries," says Jean-Paul Fitoussi, an economist at the French Economic Observatory, "so they decided to put [the reserves] into the Bank of France," for safekeeping.

In December 2017, the central banks of West Africa and Central Africa had €5bn (£4.3bn) and €3.9bn in the French treasury, respectively.

This is a small amount compared with total French public debt, which stood at about €2.2trillion in 2017.

Does it keep CFA countries poor?
Many of the concerns about the CFA franc relate to how it limits the economic levers African countries can use - that they can't set their own interest rates, for instance.

The system is designed to make it easier to obtain international currencies needed for trade.

And the reserves are also guaranteed by the French central bank - although this facility is rarely called upon.

But it's difficult to say whether the arrangement between the 14 countries and France has had a detrimental impact on their respective economies.

It's clear though that the CFA franc divides opinion and there is a movement of people who would agree with the claims of the Italian politician.

Critics point to the fact that the CFA franc countries are poor, call the currency a relic of French colonialism and say it fails "to stimulate trade integration between user nations", writes the Senegalese economist Ndongo Samba Sylla.

But there are economic benefits of a stable and easily convertible currency, says John Ashbourne, senior emerging markets analyst at Capital Economics.

"Inflation, for instance, has tended to be much milder in the CFA countries than elsewhere in Africa."

Mr Ashbourne adds that there isn't much evidence that CFA countries have underperformed compared with the rest of Africa.

Average GDP growth - the rise in the total value of goods and services produced - of CFA countries and the rest of African economies is, indeed, fairly comparable over the past few decades but that could be due to a range of factors not just the currency.

 

[Vergennes]

Here is your BBC article... I can provide even more BBC articles and other credible sources... Just because it makes you uncomfortable doesn't mean it's not true!!!

African migration: Is the CFA franc forcing people to leave?
By Christopher Giles and Jack GoodmanBBC Reality Check

• 25 January 2019
  
• Africa

Share this with Email Share this with Facebook Share this with Twitter Share this with Whatsapp

Luigi Di Maio, Italian deputy prime minister and leader of the populist Five Star Movement, has blamed France for impoverishing Africa and encouraging migration to Europe.

He accused the French government of manipulating the economies of mainly former French colonies in Africa, which use a form of the pre-independence currency known as a CFA franc.

"France is one of those countries that by printing money for 14 African states prevents their economic development and contributes to the fact that the refugees leave and then die in the sea or arrive on our coasts," said Mr Di Maio.

So what is the CFA franc and does it harm African countries?

• France summons Italian envoy over Africa remarks

Where is the CFA used?
The CFA is in fact split into two separate currency zones dating back to 1945.

Eight countries make up the West African Economic and Monetary Union and a further six are in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community.

Since 1999, the CFA franc (in both zones) has been pegged to the euro, with the financial backing of the French treasury.

The money itself, as Mr Di Maio correctly says, is printed by France - but the quantity is decided by the central banks of the two zones.

A French official sits on the boards of both central banks, which suggests France retains at least some influence over the decision making process.

Participation in the currency is voluntary.

But critics of the CFA point to preferential French access to African resources, granted as part of the setting up of the currency arrangement.

"France agreed to grant independence to its sub-Saharan Africa colonies," says Senegalese economist Ndongo Samba Sylla, "provided they accept to use the CFA franc and [France retained] a monopoly on their raw materials."

And French companies today still have a strong presence in the CFA currency zones.

Is it driving migration?
Most Mediterranean migration doesn't come from the 14 countries that use the CFA franc, 12 of which are former French colonies.

In 2018, Guinea was the largest country of origin, followed by Morocco - both former French colonies that don't use the CFA franc.

The Ivory Coast and Mali are the only countries of origin using the CFA franc that have contributed significantly to migration across the Mediterranean, accounting for 14.4% of the total last year.

Both these countries have experienced political unrest in recent years.

What does France do with African money?
The use of the CFA franc is highly controversial, with some saying it comes with a "French colonial tax".

• African protests over the CFA 'colonial currency'

But France doesn't tax African countries for using the currency.

It does, however, require countries to store 50% of all foreign exchange reserves with the French treasury, in the Bank of France, in something called an "operational account".

African countries can access the money in the French treasury when they like.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionActivists in Africa have called for the CFA franc to be abandoned
Mr Di Maio said France was using this system to finance French public debt.

But a French treasury official told BBC News the deposits of the central banks of West Africa and Central Africa were not being used to buy or pay off French debt.

African countries receive interest on their reserves of 0.75%.

But when inflation in the eurozone is higher than this, this is a poor return.

The reasons for keeping CFA reserves in France relate in part to relationships between African nations when the CFA was established.

"The problem was that there was a lot of mistrust among the African countries," says Jean-Paul Fitoussi, an economist at the French Economic Observatory, "so they decided to put [the reserves] into the Bank of France," for safekeeping.

In December 2017, the central banks of West Africa and Central Africa had €5bn (£4.3bn) and €3.9bn in the French treasury, respectively.

This is a small amount compared with total French public debt, which stood at about €2.2trillion in 2017.

Does it keep CFA countries poor?
Many of the concerns about the CFA franc relate to how it limits the economic levers African countries can use - that they can't set their own interest rates, for instance.

The system is designed to make it easier to obtain international currencies needed for trade.

And the reserves are also guaranteed by the French central bank - although this facility is rarely called upon.

But it's difficult to say whether the arrangement between the 14 countries and France has had a detrimental impact on their respective economies.

It's clear though that the CFA franc divides opinion and there is a movement of people who would agree with the claims of the Italian politician.

Critics point to the fact that the CFA franc countries are poor, call the currency a relic of French colonialism and say it fails "to stimulate trade integration between user nations", writes the Senegalese economist Ndongo Samba Sylla.

But there are economic benefits of a stable and easily convertible currency, says John Ashbourne, senior emerging markets analyst at Capital Economics.

"Inflation, for instance, has tended to be much milder in the CFA countries than elsewhere in Africa."

Mr Ashbourne adds that there isn't much evidence that CFA countries have underperformed compared with the rest of Africa.

Average GDP growth - the rise in the total value of goods and services produced - of CFA countries and the rest of African economies is, indeed, fairly comparable over the past few decades but that could be due to a range of factors not just the currency.

See,what you are posting has nothing to do with France imposing a colonial tax. Quote me from a credible source where it does explicitely say France is imposing a colonial tax. Quote me the exact sentence.

 

[Clutch]

See,what you are posting has nothing to do with France imposing a colonial tax. Quote me from a credible source where it does explicitely say France is imposing a colonial tax. Quote me the exact sentence.

I don't think you read the article. Printing currency ... Is a tax. Are you that naive?????

Do you think it would be pink coloured pale skinned Frenchy walking door to door in Africa knocking on doors and asking Nubians for a percentage tax in person????

Wake up kiddo.

 

[Vergennes]

Must be poor civilians too...

At least 25 Niger soldiers, 63 ‘terrorists’ killed in attack on army base in Tillaberi region

https://thedefensepost.com/2020/01/10/niger-soldiers-killed-terrorist-attack-chinagodrar-tillaberi/

Your "poor civilians".