A French soldier was killed after being wounded in an attack by armed men on the French military base in Gao, the largest city in northern Mali.
In a statement, the French presidency confirmed the killing of Brigadier General Alexandre Martin of the “54th Heer Artillery Regiment”, stressing the “great affection” of President Emmanuel Macron. She stressed “France’s determination to pursue the fight against terrorism in the region alongside its partners.”
Also, 9 other French soldiers were wounded in the attack on the French forces camp, and the identity of the perpetrators has not been determined yet. Last Tuesday, 4 French soldiers were wounded in Burkina Faso when an explosive device exploded as their vehicle passed.
And the French military forces deployed in the Sahel region in 2021 witnessed the killing of 3 French soldiers in battles, and the death of a French soldier in an accident.
The number of French soldiers killed in battles in the Sahel region has risen to 53 since 2013.
France has deployed 5,000 soldiers in Mali since it signed defense agreements with the Bamako government in 2013, coinciding with the launch of a French military operation against the armed groups that took control of the northern regions of the country.
The agreement on the French military deployment in Mali in 2020 was amended with an additional protocol related to the launch of Operation Takuba, in which European special forces participate.
