Sweden is set to send up to 150 special forces personnel as well as helicopters to join a new multinational military mission in sub-Saharan Africa’s troubled Sahel region. The Swedish force will make up a helicopter-borne rapid reaction force under the French-led task force that will aid in the fight against ISIS and Al Qaeda terrorists active in the region.
According to Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist, a Special Forces operation is an extremely competent capability that contributes to the stability of the region and to combating and preventing further spread of terrorism in Europe and Sweden especially alongside the large UN mission MINUSMA.
France has for months been trying to build support for the new special operations Task Force Takuba that will train, advise, assist and accompany local forces in their fight against Islamic State and al-Qaeda affiliates in the region. Takuba is expected to declare initial military capability in the summer and will be fully operational by the autumn. Takuba will comprise around 500 special forces personnel, and a new French deployment will include around 50 special forces personnel who will form the nucleus of Takuba.
Many armed groups including Islamic State are active in the Sahel region, but the majority of attacks are attributed to JNIM, which formed in March 2017 from a merger of several smaller groups. JNIM’s leadership has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
