Home News French Army Chief Admits Presence Of French Soldiers In Guinea, Mali’s Neighbouring Country
News

French Army Chief Admits Presence Of French Soldiers In Guinea, Mali’s Neighbouring Country

799
French President Emmanuel Macron (Left), with General Thierry Burkhard (Right) during a military parade. Photo Credit: © BestImage, Eliot Blondet / Pool.

The French Chief of the Defence Staff, General Thierry Burkhard, recently admitted for the first time the presence of French military soldiers in Guinea.

The revelation was made by a Deputy of the French National Assembly, Aurélien Saintoul, who questioned Gen. Burkhard during a closed-door hearing of the army general.

Saintoul revealed on his X account that Burkhard said: “There could be ‘operational deployments’ in Guinée.”

Screenshots from X.

This comes after recent reports that France was building a large military base in Kourémalé, Guinea, which is close to the border with Mali.

Mali, together with fellow members of Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Burkina Faso and Niger, have severed diplomatic and military ties with France, leading to the evacuation of French forces in AES member states. The recent construction of a military base in Guinea has therefore been speculated to be an attempt of France to monitor and influence the situation in Mali, a country faced with terrorism.

In July, Burkinabe Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, criticised Côte d’Ivoire for its close ties with France and accused the Benin Republic of hosting French military bases that he claimed were platforms for terrorist operations against Burkina Faso. Côte d’Ivoire and Benin Republic are neighbouring countries with Burkina Faso.

These accusations by Traoré were however denied by the governments of France and Benin Republic.

Furthermore, the Nigerien Head of State, General Abdourahamane Tiani, alleged last month that France has repositioned agents of the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE) in Nigeria and the Benin Republic to spy on Niger. He accused France of trying to destabilise Niger.

DGSE is France’s foreign intelligence agency.

Read More: French Intelligence Agents Repositioned in Nigeria, Benin – Niger Military Leader

Traoré Accuses Côte d’Ivoire, Benin Of Destabilising Burkina Faso

About The Author

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

Malian Army ISIS Dahdah
News

Malian Army Kills Foreign ISIS Leader, Abu Dahdah, in Ménaka Region Raid

The Malian armed forces, in collaboration with their partners, killed a senior...

Togolese Protesters Faure Gnassingbé
News

Togolese Youth Continue Protests Despite Government Ban, Demand End to Faure Gnassingbé’s Rule

The youth of Togo continue to protest against President Faure Gnassingbé’s prolonged...

News

Fast Fashion’s Dumping Ground: How West Africa Is Drowning in Second-Hand Clothing Waste

Every week, massive shipping containers filled with used clothing arrive at West...

Human RightsNews

Togolese Protesters Tear-Gassed in Their Homes as Uprising Demands President’s Resignation

Togolese youths have taken to the streets in a three-day demonstration, demanding...