Since France's departure, “the terrorist risk has increased in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger”, judges the director of the DGSE

In Africa, France fought Islamic terrorism. Fifty-eight soldiers have lost their lives there since 2013. However, the French army is retreating everywhere, chased out by the regimes and replaced by the Russians. “Undeniably, since the departure of French troops and the end of the action of the coalition in which we participated at the request of the Sahel States, the terrorist risk has increased in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger”judge Nicolas Lerner, director of the General Directorate of External Security (DGSE), French espionage, to the Monde . “If terrorist groups failed to form territorial 'caliphates' in these three countries, it is thanks to the work that was carried out in partnership with the former local authorities. Today, the situation is deteriorating”he adds.

“These groups, which weaken States, threaten local civilian populations but also Western interests and those of many of our partners in the Gulf of Guinea, do not currently constitute a danger for the national territory”he said. However, until now, Paris justified these external operations, and therefore the human losses, by a link uniting terrorism in the Sahel and attacks in France. “So, protecting ourselves here means protecting our nationals, that is already a first aspect. But then, if we let terrorists prosper in this part of the African continent, there will also be consequences in Europe and in France.launched François Hollande in front of the French soldiers in Chad in July 2014.

“We must fight and we are fighting, against all these sanctuaries”

“What did the jihadists want? Abroad, establish sanctuary zones where they could apply Sharia law and, within our borders, destabilize our societies”says Nicolas Lerner. He specifies in his interview that “if ever sanctuaries were to be established, and we are really not far from it, they could however offer points of attraction to European and French jihadist fighters”. “The DGSE is observing developments in the sub-region with concern, especially since alternative support, particularly Russian, is failing”he specifies. Wagner took over from France in the Central African Republic, where Paris was engaged in Operation Sangaris, in Mali, following the French Operation Barkhane. In addition, Russian operators have been seen, according to several open source intelligence (OSINT) specialists in Chad and Burkina Faso.

“In my current responsibilities, I know that each time sanctuaries are formed, our territories are exposed: Merah had spent time in the Pakistani-Afghan zone, the Kouachi had trained in Yemen, etc. We learned the lesson: we must fight and we are fighting, against all these sanctuaries”he explained. As such, France remains vigilant over the political and security developments in Syria. The fall of Bashar Al-Assad's regime “ask three questions” according to Nicolas Lerner: the French who “evolving in the Syrian North-East”French detainees by the Kurds, and “the attitude of the new Syrian authorities towards terrorist groups, and particularly IS”.