ВОЕННО-ПОЛИТИЧЕСКИЙ БАЛАНС ВОЗМОЖНОСТЕЙ ФРАНЦИИ В САХЕЛЕ: ЭТАПЫ И МЕХАНИЗМЫ ВЫХОДА С ТВД

Abstract

The article discusses the unfavorable development of situation in the Sahel for France, which is associated, among other things, with a new geopolitical challenge - the penetration of new international actors into the France’s traditional interests zone in Africa. Despite the transformation of France’s defense priorities in favor of a European continent geolocation, the Sahel remains an important area for French military efforts in fighting terrorism. A bulk of scientific literature and expert opinions is analyzed to highlight and evaluate how France adapts to the changing character of the conflict and the new strategies of armed terrorist groups. The author pays special attention to the destructive role of endogenous, internal factors in the confrontation between jihadist groups and the central governments of the Sahel countries, especially Mali. The role and use by France of a number of mechanisms for an orderly exit from the theatre of operations are shown, and their effectiveness is assessed. It is concluded that it is impossible to stabilize the security situation in weak states through enhanced training of local armed forces. Among the exogenous factors that, from the point of view of France, continue to have a negative impact on the development of the situation in Mali and neighboring countries, the Libyan factor and the strengthening of the Russian military presence in the region are singled out. It is noted that even in the circumstances of the forced redeployment of the Barkhane and Takuba missions, France and its European allies will continue to fight terrorism in the areas bordering Mali. The author comes to the conclusion that the current events will lead to a rethinking of the goals of the French military presence in Africa and will create prerequisites for building a new security architecture in the region.