France will deploy 600 additional soldiers in the African Sahel region to combat extremists, raising the amount of troops there to 5,100, the country’s defense minister said Sunday. In a statement, Defense Minister Florence Parly said most of the reinforcements to the Barkhane force will be deployed in the three borders zone between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Parly added that Chad “should soon deploy an additional battalion” within the joint force of the G5 Sahel, which brings together Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in the three borders zone.
