British soldiers are set to be deployed to the war-torn country of Mali later this year. The troops will join the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country as part of an effort to combat the escalating insurgent Islamist menace.
So far, British troops have only assisted in training operations and not on combat ground operations. About 30 Army soldiers and Royal Marines have been working in Senegal training special forces from across West Africa.
An additional 250 troops will be deployed to Mali to face the Islamist insurgents face-to-face and participate in surveillance and reconnaissance missions in jihadist-controlled areas.
This will be one of United Kingdom’s most dangerous deployment since withdrawal of its combat forces from Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
The insurgency in Mali is escalating with no sign of ending anytime soon. Deployment of British troops will certainly be a boost to the troops in the Sahel region. French forces have been the leading non-African contingent in the country with 4,000 troops in the region and has been calling for western support.
The Al-Qaeda linked insurgency has spilled over into neighboring countries, including Niger and Burkina Faso.
According to Major John House, who currently oversees British training in Senegal, its time to join battle against the insurgents in West Africa or else the insurgency could spill over to more regions in West and North Africa.
Despite tactical successes by French-led forces, including encounters resulting in dozens of militant fatalities, the Sahel region continues to suffer huge blows from significant insurgent violence. In addition, growing casualties have increased concerns about the efficacy of the ongoing G5 mission.
