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93-528: The army of Niger maintains a garrison of a hundred soldiers, depending on the 24th Interarmes Battalion from Dirkou. On October 23, 2014, the French government announced plans to base helicopters and 50 French troops here, under the Operation Barkhane . The French Army built a forward operating base . The French military is about 200 to 250 soldiers on January 1, 2015. The operational base of Madama served as

186-471: A free market should not require consistent government intervention to keep people afloat. The energy crisis nearly caused the collapse of the coalition government. Kallas observed in a speech that the high cost of natural gas coupled with the Russian invasion of Ukraine was driving the increase in energy prices, and that the green energy measures Estonia adopted limited what the government could do to handle

279-533: A ' Tigre ' and a ' Cougar ', collided in mid-air while flying to reinforce soldiers engaged in combat with insurgents. The loss of 13 soldiers was the heaviest loss of life for the French military since the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings . On 21 December 2019, the French military killed 40 militants in an operation in the Mopti Region of Mali. The area where the operation took place was controlled by Macina Liberation Front and it involved France's first ever use of

372-459: A French Army Light Aviation Gazelle helicopter crashed in the border region between Mali and Niger after being fired upon by insurgent small arms fire. The two pilots and a special forces sniper were subsequently rescued by another helicopter after destroying the damaged helicopter. The French military base in Gao was assaulted by suicide bombers on 22 July in an attack that wounded 6 Estonian soldiers and

465-553: A French armoured vehicle carrying out an anti-terrorist operation in the Mopti Region on 2 April, killing one French soldier and seriously wounding another. Two French commandos of the Commandos Marine were killed on 9 May in the North of Burkina Faso during a rescue mission which successfully rescued four hostages, included two Frenchmen, and an American and South Korean woman, who had been kidnapped by Islamists. In mid-June 2019,

558-587: A French special forces soldier was killed in a Caracal helicopter crash in Burkina Faso. French forces experienced their first major success of Barkhane in December 2014 with the killing of Ahmed al-Tilemsi, the leader of the Al-Mourabitoun jihadist group, by French special forces during a raid in the deserts of northern Mali. From 7 to 14 April 2015, French and Nigerien forces carried out an airborne operation in

651-722: A New Deal for Energy Consumers, legislation on Custom infringements and sanctions, and the own-initiative report on the Digital Single Market. During her time in Parliament, she was also nominated as a European Young Leader (EYL40). At the end of her term, she was cited by Politico as one of the 40 most influential MEPs, and one of the most powerful women in Brussels, who was highlighted for her understanding of technological issues. In November 2018, Kallas published her memoir MEP: 4 aastat Euroopa Parlamendis ( MEP: Four Years in

744-674: A banker and investor. Hallik has two children from a previous relationship. Apart from her native Estonian , Kallas is fluent in English, Finnish, Russian and French. Since 2020, Kallas has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Friends of Europe. Additionally, she is a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations , an advisory board member of the Women Economic Forum , and

837-490: A battle group called Desert Tactical Grouping (GTD) "Altor". This battle group operated autonomously and without a base on the ground for over a month, receiving supplies only by airdrop. GTD Altor killed over a dozen insurgents and disrupted their logistics throughout their initial month-long operation. Two soldiers from the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) were seriously wounded when their vehicle struck an IED during operations against insurgents on 23 April 2020; one of

930-427: A command post for a military operation zone control for the French, Niger and Chad armies from 20 to 27 December 2014. Aerodrome Madama consists of a laterite track ( 21°57′0.10″N 13°39′2.13″E  /  21.9500278°N 13.6505917°E  / 21.9500278; 13.6505917 ) with a length of 1,300 metres (4,300 ft). The work of the 25th Air Engineer Regiment and the 19th Engineer Regiment allowed

1023-503: A drone strike which accounted for 7 of the 40 killed insurgents. The French Defense Minister Florence Parly announced in February 2020 that France would send an additional 600 troops to the Sahel region, bolstering Operation Barkhanes' force to 5,100 troops. The first contingent of these reinforcements was 200 French Army paratroopers from the 2e REP who were transported to Niger and formed

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1116-534: A group crossing the Algerian-Malian border approximately 80 kilometres east of the town of Tessalit . French special forces subsequently conducted an air assault to intercept the group during which they shot and killed Droukdel and a number of other militants. A French soldier from the 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment (1er RHP) was killed during combat operations in Mali on 23 July 2020 when an improvised explosive device

1209-539: A joint French-Malian patrol in Gao on 1 July 2018. The attack, which heavily damaged a number of French VBCIs , also killed 4 civilians and seriously wounded 27 others. On 22 February 2019, French forces backed by an armed reaper drone and a helicopter attacked a JNIM convoy killing 11 militants including senior leader Yahia Abou el Hamman in the Tombouctou Region of Mali . A militant improvised explosive device struck

1302-401: A joint offensive operation named Operation Eclipse  [ fr ] from 2 to 20 January in the forests surrounding the town of Boni . Over 100 jihadists were killed and 20 captured by French forces during the course of Operation Eclipse . French forces carried out a controversial airstrike during the course of Operation Eclipse which locals claimed targeted a wedding ceremony in

1395-570: A leading pro-Ukrainian voice in the war, with the New Statesman calling her "Europe's New Iron Lady". She also strongly supported the admission of Ukraine to the European Union , saying that there was "a moral duty" to do so. In April 2022, she warned against "peace at any price" with Russia. On 3 June 2022, Kallas dismissed all Centre Party ministers, after the Centre Party had sided with

1488-513: A long-range reconnaissance force for United Nations forces. On 22 March 2018, the Ministry of Defence of Estonia announced its intention to commit up to 50 troops and 5 Pasi XA-188 armoured vehicles to Mali as part of Operation Barkhane, to be based in Gao , pending approval by the Riigikogu . The unit, named ESTPLA-26 and headed by Maj. Kristjan Karist, was detached from the C Infantry Company of

1581-862: A patron of the Model European Union Tallinn. She is also a mentor of the European Liberal Youth , a member of the European Young Leaders, a MEP ambassor of Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs , a member of the MEP Library Lovers Group, a political member of the European Internet Forum, a member of the extended board of the European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources, a member of the Global Young Leaders ,

1674-560: A phased manner, due to France's inability to work with the national governments in the Sahel region. He however added that French forces would remain in the region as part of a larger international mission. The operation was later scheduled to end by the first quarter of 2022. France began withdrawing its troops from Mali on 17 February 2022. Macron announced that the base of Barkhane will shift to Niger. The military junta ruling Mali however asked France to withdraw without delay on 18 March, with Macron responding that they would withdraw over

1767-608: A place of permanent passage, where jihadist groups between Libya and the Atlantic Ocean can rebuild themselves, which would lead to serious consequences for our security." The concept of 'partnership' has been emphasised to explain the deployment of the French troops. The main objective of the French military intervention is the direct support of the G5 Sahel forces, through training and the introduction of new technologies and resources. Former French President, François Hollande , has said

1860-558: A proportion of GDP per capita than any other country in the world. In September 2022, in the context of a plan by three other bordering nations to restrict Russian tourists, she said: "Travel to the European Union is a privilege, not a human right." She added that it was "unacceptable that citizens of the aggressor state are able to freely travel in the EU, whilst at the same time people in Ukraine are being tortured and murdered." In February 2023, Kallas

1953-482: A result of his injuries after being hit by an anti-tank mine on 13 October near Tessalit during a reconnaissance mission. French soldiers based in Mali as part of the Army Special Forces Command were rapidly deployed to Burkina Faso on 15 January 2016 after jihadists launched a terrorist attack on Ouagadougou which killed 30 people. In February, French forces killed a number of insurgent fighters in

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2046-485: A roughly 3,000-strong French force, which was permanently headquartered in N'Djamena , the capital of Chad . The operation was led in co-operation with five countries, all of which are former French colonies that span the Sahel: Burkina Faso , Chad , Mali , Mauritania and Niger . Mali was a part of the operation until August 2022. The countries are collectively referred to as the " G5 Sahel ". The operation

2139-494: A similar number of French personnel. A French soldier was killed on 2 November 2019 when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device during a patrol near Ménaka in eastern Mali. French commandos launched a heli-borne raid later that month on an insurgent camp in Mali's eastern regions, which resulted in five insurgents killed and one French soldier being seriously injured. On 25 November 2019, 13 French soldiers were killed in northern Mali when two French helicopters,

2232-524: A single euro, dollar or ruble " was spent in Russia as part of the activity. Media reported that Kallas had provided an undeclared €350,000 loan to her husband shortly after visiting Metaprint as prime minister in January 2022. Stark Logistics seconded Kallas's claim that the company's dealings in Russia were to assist an Estonian client end their production in the country, and that their work did not contribute to

2325-453: A transport service to a company operating in Russia since the beginning of the invasion. Kallas later admitted to her husband's share in the company, but denied wrongdoing on the part of herself or her husband and stated that the company's business in Russia was to assist an Estonian client, identified by the Estonian media as the company Metaprint, end its production in Russia, adding that "not

2418-400: Is a transatlanticist and was frequently named as a potential candidate to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as Secretary General of NATO , a role she has expressed interest in. Kallas condemned Hamas ' actions during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war and expressed her support to Israel and its right to self-defence, but added that Israel "must do so in a way that spares innocent lives and adheres to

2511-643: Is strategically important because it hosts drones in charge of gathering intelligence across the entire Sahel-Saharan region. From Niamey, France's troops are supported by two German Transall C-160s . In 2020, France stated that it will deploy 600 soldiers in addition to the existing force to fight the Islamist militants in Africa's Sahel. The aviation support is provided the French Groupement Tactique Désert-Aérocombat. In March 2016, during

2604-467: Is the successor of Operation Serval, the French military mission in Mali, and Operation Epervier , the mission in Chad. The operation aims "to become the French pillar of counterterrorism in the Sahel region". According to French Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the main objective of Operation Barkhane is counter-terrorism: "The aim is to prevent what I call the highway of all forms of traffics to become

2697-767: The 2014 European Parliament election in Estonia , Kallas received 21,498 votes. In the European Parliament, Kallas served on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and was a substitute for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection . She was a vice-chair of the Delegation to the EU–Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee as well as a member of the Delegation to

2790-633: The Bank of Estonia from 1991 to 1995, as prime minister of Estonia from 2002 to 2003, and as a European Commissioner from 2004 to 2014. Her mother, Kristi Kallas, née Kartus, is a physician. Kallas has an elder brother, Ülo Kallas, a financial executive. Kallas' paternal great-grandfather, Eduard Alver (1886–1939), a lawyer, was the commander of the Estonian Defence League during the Estonian War of Independence from 1918 to 1920 and also served as

2883-833: The Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, Kallas demanded that the European Union introduce sanctions on Russia. Kallas was praised domestically for her leadership during the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Subsequently, her approval rating soared, making her Estonia's most popular politician. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine started on 24 February 2022, Estonia along with other allies triggered Article 4 of NATO . Kallas pledged to support Ukraine with political and materiel support. By April 2022, 0.8% of Estonia's GDP per capita in military equipment had been handed over to Ukraine. Kallas has been praised both in Estonia and internationally as

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2976-714: The Estonian Reform Party since 2018, she was a member of parliament ( Riigikogu ) in 2011–2014, and 2019–2021. Kallas was a member of the European Parliament in 2014–2018, representing the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe . Before her election to Riigikogu, she was a lawyer specialising in European competition law . Kaja Kallas was born in Tallinn on 18 June 1977. Her father, Siim Kallas , served as chairman of

3069-760: The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly and Delegation for relations with the United States. In addition to her committee assignments, Kallas was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) Intergroup on the Digital Agenda, and was also a vice-chair of the Youth Intergroup. During her period in Parliament, Kallas worked on the Digital Single Market strategy, energy, and consumer policies, and relations with Ukraine. In particular, she defended

3162-776: The Scouts Battalion on 6 August, and arrived in Mali that same week to be stationed at the French military base in Gao. In November 2019, Estonia increased its Operation Barkhane troop deployment to 95 soldiers. The Swedish contribution to Barkhane via Task Force Takuba arrived in Mali during February 2021. The Swedish troop contribution to Task Force Takuba is a 150-man strong helicopter-borne rapid-response force, centered around an SOG task unit and supported by three UH-60M helicopters and one C-130 , ready to be deployed if something unforeseen occurs. The task force will also be used for other operations, as for example to support other countries that exercise and conduct operations with

3255-606: The border with Burkina Faso . As of 2021, Operation Barkhane cost about € 1 billion per year. On 11 February, the French Army anncounced that it killed 40 militants in airstrikes on a motorcycle column in the W National Park area in cooperation with the Burkinabe forces on the previous day. The militants had carried out two armed attacks in Benin on 8 and 9 February, killing nine people. France along with its European allies announced

3348-457: The first female prime minister in Estonia's history. During the latter half of 2021, the global energy crisis disrupted the Estonian economy; businesses were forced to temporarily shut down, while the public requested government aid to pay for the high electricity and heating prices. Kallas initially resisted calls for government aid, suggesting that the government should search for long-term solutions rather than handing out benefits, and that

3441-547: The Barkhane force will allow for a "rapid and efficient intervention in the event of a crisis" in the region. The operation will target Islamist extremists in Mali, Chad, and Niger, and will have a mandate to operate across borders. The French force was initially a 3,000-strong counter-terrorism force, with 1,000 soldiers deployed indefinitely in Mali. These soldiers were to be focused on counter-terrorism operations in northern Mali, with another 1,200 soldiers stationed in Chad, and

3534-521: The Colonel-in-chief was wounded on 21 February when the armoured vehicle they were travelling in struck a mine between the towns of Gao and Ménaka. On 14 April 2018, JNIM militants launched an attack on a UN base in Timbuktu, wounding several French soldiers before being repelled by French, Malian and American troops. Four French soldiers were seriously wounded by a suicide car bomb attack against

3627-556: The Czech Republic , from 2021) [REDACTED] Carl XVI Gustaf ( King of Sweden , from 2014) [REDACTED] Ulf Kristersson ( Prime Minister of Sweden , from 2022) Operation Barkhane ( French : Opération Barkhane ) was a counterinsurgency operation that started on 1 August 2014 and formally ended on 9 November 2022. It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's Sahel region and consisted of

3720-463: The Estonian state called into question, in its relations with its allies" and fears that it "creates a precedent for the future and affects the reputation of Estonian democracy". Two opinion polls conducted by Norstat and Turu-uuringute AS showed that 57% and 69% of respondents, respectively, thought Kallas should resign due to the scandal. Kallas continued to refuse to resign in September 2023, calling

3813-572: The European Commission . In November 2024, she stated that the People's Republic of China must pay a "higher cost" for its support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine . From 2002 to 2006, Kallas was married to Roomet Leiger . She lived together with former finance minister and businessman Taavi Veskimägi . Kallas and Veskimägi have one son; they separated in 2014. In 2018, she married Arvo Hallik,

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3906-508: The European Parliament ), in which she described her life and work in Brussels from 2014 to 2018. On 13 December 2017, the Reform Party leader Hanno Pevkur announced that he would no longer run for the party leadership in January 2018, and suggested that Kallas should run instead. After considering the offer, Kallas announced on 15 December 2017 that she would accept the invitation to run in

3999-518: The G5 Sahel has been established by four permanent military bases: (1) headquarters and an air force base in the Chadian capital of N'Djamena (under the leadership of French Général Palasset); (2) a regional base in Gao, north Mali, with at least 1,000 men; (3) a special-forces base in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou ; (4) an intelligence base in Niger's capital, Niamey , with over 300 men. The Niamey airbase

4092-475: The Hombori region in central Mali, resulting in the death of three soldiers. On 2 January 2021, two French soldiers from the 2nd Hussar Regiment (2e RH) were killed while taking part in an intelligence gathering mission in northeastern Mali. Six French soldiers were wounded on 10 January when a suicide bomber attacked their convoy during a patrol in the central region near Gourma. French and Malian forces conducted

4185-661: The Malian army. On 14 January 2022, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed Sweden's intention to withdraw Swedish forces from the European special forces mission in Sahel and reevaluate Swedish involvement in United Nations task force in Mali. Operations commenced 1 August 2014. French Forces sustained their first casualty during a battle in early November 2014, which also resulted in 24 jihadists dead. On 24 November,

4278-471: The Mirage jets on the encampment, the commandos, supported by the fighter jets and helicopters, engaged in a ground combat lasting approximately an hour, stated Colonel Barbry. Following the operation, a significant amount of enemy assets were seized and the jihadist group suffered notable casualties. The ground forces reported confiscating approximately twenty motorcycles and a substantial quantity of weaponry from

4371-506: The Niger-Mali border. French air support was requested by the Americans and two hours later Mirage fighter jets arrived from Niamey . Despite the French pilots being unable to engage ground targets due to the proximity of friendly forces, the jets deterrence was enough to end the ambush. A French special forces team were the first ground forces to reach the scene of the ambush, 3–4 hours after

4464-413: The Russian economy in any way nor did it violate Estonian law, as Kallas's government had prohibited only state-owned companies from working with Russia. The Estonian media has separately reported that Metaprint sold €17 million worth of goods to Russia between the start of the invasion in February 2022 and November 2022. Hallik's business partner Martti Lemendik later admitted in the Estonian media that

4557-409: The Sahel like Chad. Kaja Kallas Kaja Kallas ( Estonian: [ˈkɑjɑ ˈkɑlːɑs] ; born 18 June 1977) is an Estonian politician and diplomat. She was the first female prime minister of Estonia , a role she held from 2021 until 2024, when she resigned in advance of her appointment as High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy . The leader of

4650-853: The Tallinn Lilleküla Gymnasium and secondary school at the Tallinn Secondary School No. 7 (today the Tallinn English College ). Kallas graduated from the University of Tartu in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in law. In 2007, Kallas began studying towards a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the Estonian Business School (EBS), which she did not complete. She went on to obtain a one-year Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) from EBS in 2010. From 1996 to 1997, Kallas worked as an advisor to

4743-437: The UK-France Summit in Paris, the British government announced that it would consider providing support to Operation Barkhane. British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon then announced that the UK would provide monthly strategic airlift support to French forces in Africa. In July 2018, three RAF Chinook helicopters arrived in Mali to provide logistical and troop movement support to French and other military forces operating in

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4836-448: The United Kingdom and Canada , from 2022) [REDACTED] Rishi Sunak ( Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , from 2022) [REDACTED] Robert Ben Lobban Wallace ( Secretary of State for Defence , from 2019) [REDACTED] Justin Trudeau ( Prime Minister of Canada , from 2015) [REDACTED] Anita Anand ( Minister of National Defence , from 2021) [REDACTED] Joe Biden ( President of

4929-417: The United States , from 2021) [REDACTED] Lloyd Austin ( United States Secretary of Defense , from 2021) [REDACTED] Margrethe II ( Queen of Denmark , from 2014) [REDACTED] Mette Frederiksen ( Prime Minister of Denmark , from 2019) [REDACTED] Miloš Zeman ( President of the Czech Republic , from 2014) [REDACTED] Petr Fiala ( Prime Minister of

5022-413: The area. This deployment was in addition to the 90 British troops already deployed in the region. In September 2018, Forces.net reported that, to date, the RAF Chinooks had made 30 sorties, transporting over 700 French troops, supplies and 70 tons of equipment across Mali. In July 2020, the British Ministry of Defence announced that nearly 250 British Army troops would train and deploy to Mali to serve as

5115-417: The beginning of the withdrawal of troops from Mali on 17 February, blaming the military junta of Mali for obstructions in carrying out their military operations. France stated that the withdrawal was meant for its soldiers part of both Operation Barkhane and Takuba Task Force . Macron stated that the base of the operation would shift from Mali to Niger. France began redeploying its forces to other countries of

5208-418: The city of Niaki in Central Mali. After locating a suspicious encampment near Niaki, 180 kilometers east of Mopti , four Mirage 2000 fighter jets took off from the Niamey airbase in Niger , as reported by the French military headquarters. Additionally, four Tigre combat helicopters and three Caïman troop transport helicopters were dispatched, carrying mountain commandos on board. Following initial airstrikes by

5301-507: The company had sold over $ 32 million in goods on the Russian market between February 2022 and August 2023. The company also collaborated with sanctioned individuals, such as Polish-sanctioned Sergei Kolesnikov. Hallik later stated that he would sell his shares in Stark Logistics. Tanel Kiik of the opposition Centre Party noted that "the scandal has severely damaged the reputation of the Estonian state", while President of Estonia Alar Karis stated his worry for seeing "the credibility of

5394-525: The competition law department from 2008 to 2011. Kallas also worked as an executive coach at the Estonian Business School . In 2011, she was placed on inactive status as a member of the Estonian Bar Association. Between 2003 and 2010, Kallas was a council member of several Estonian private and public limited companies: LHV-Seesam Varahaldus, Pakri Tuulepark, Viru-Nigula Tuulepark, Hiiumaa Offshore Tuulepark, Paldiski Tuulepark, Tooma Tuulepark, Roheline Ring Tuulepargid, Biofond and 4E Tehnoinvest. In 2008, Kallas

5487-402: The conservative Isamaa party and the far-right EKRE , leaving the Reform Party out of power. On 14 November 2020, Kallas was re-elected as leader of the Reform Party at a Reform Party Assembly. On 25 January 2021, after the fall of the Centre Party led cabinet with conservative parties, Kaja Kallas's first cabinet , a coalition with the Centre Party, was formed. In doing so, she became

5580-409: The controversy a "witch-hunt" by political opponents. On 13 February 2024, Russian officials stated that Kallas had been put on the Russian interior ministry's register of people wanted on criminal charges, reportedly related to the removal of Soviet World War II monuments in Estonia. Kallas is the first head of government known to be added to the register by Russian authorities. Kallas dismissed

5673-468: The crisis. In January 2022, Kallas announced a 245 million euro plan to reduce the cost of energy from September 2021 to March 2022. The energy crisis impacted her popularity in Estonia. On the eve of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in January 2022, Kallas said that the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline was "a geopolitical project not an economic one" and urged that the pipeline be terminated. She also stated that Europe's dependence on Russian natural gas

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5766-448: The deadliest year up to that point for French forces participating in Barkhane. On 15 March 2017, French forces arrested eight jihadists in the desert north of Timbuktu. On 5 April 2017, master corporal Julien Barbé, was killed in action near Hombori after an explosive device blew up an armoured vehicle. He was posthumously made a knight of the Legion of Honour . Heavy fighting between French forces and Jihadist groups continued into

5859-437: The director of the Vanemuine theatre in Tartu . Kallas became a member of the Estonian Bar Association in 1999, and an attorney-at-law in 2002. While training in European law , she briefly worked as a lawyer at the corporate law firms Courtois Lebel in Paris (March-April 2001) and Hannes Snellmann in Helsinki (October 2003). She became a partner in the law firms Tark & Co and Luiga Mody Hääl Borenius , where she headed

5952-459: The election result, Kallas negotiated a coalition government with Estonia 200 and the Social Democratic Party, and her third cabinet was sworn in on 17 April. In June 2023, the government passed a bill legalising same-sex marriage and adoption in Estonia . The bill came into effect on 1 January 2024, making Estonia the first Baltic state and country formerly occupied by the Soviet Union to legalise same-sex marriage and adoption. Kallas

6045-430: The encampment. On 30 November 2020, insurgents launched a coordinated attack on three separate French military bases in Kidal, Ménaka and Gao in northern Mali using indirect rocket fire but French forces reported no casualties as a result of the attacks. A French military convoy consisting of the 1er Régiment de Chasseurs (1er RCh) was struck by two IED blasts in quick succession on 28 December 2020 during an operation in

6138-403: The far north of Niger to search for Jihadists. As part of the operation, 90 French Army paratroopers of the 2e REP jumped near the Salvador pass. Two soldiers were injured during the jump before they were joined by a joint force of Nigerien and French soldiers from the 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment (1er RHP) . On 26 November 2015, a French Air Parachute Commando died in hospital in France as

6231-406: The firefight which resulted in the death of 4 American Green Berets . On 14 October 2017, an Antonov An-26 aircraft operating in support of Operation Barkhane crashed shortly before landing at Félix Houphouët Boigny International Airport , Abidjan , Ivory Coast. Four Moldovan flight crew were killed. Two Moldovan flight crew and four French Army soldiers were injured. A French Army convoy

6324-422: The first quarter of 2022. On 15 September, Macron announced that Barkhane forces had killed Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi , the leader of Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. The assassination was conducted on 17 August using a drone in the Dangalous Forest of Mali near the border with Niger , according to the Chief of the Defence Staff Thierry Burkhard , after gathering information on locations where al-Sahrawi

6417-542: The head of the country's police and the Internal Security Service . During Operation Priboi on 25-28 March 1949, Kallas' mother, Kristi, six months old at the time, was deported to Siberia with her mother and grandmother. She was allowed to return to Soviet-occupied Estonia in 1959. Apart from Estonian, Kallas patrilineally also has distant Latvian and Baltic German ancestry, as discovered by investigative journalists researching her father's ancestry shortly after his premiership. Kallas attended primary school at

6510-400: The leadership election. Kallas won the leadership election held on 14 April 2018 and became the first female leader of a major political party in Estonia. In the 2019 Estonian parliamentary election on 3 March, the Reform Party led by Kallas received about 29% of the vote, with the ruling Estonian Centre Party taking 23%. The Centre Party managed to form Jüri Ratas' second cabinet with

6603-501: The national governments in the Sahel region, as they were negotiating with terrorists. On 2 July, France announced that it would resume its suspended joint military operations with Mali, following discussions with the interim government of the country. On 9 July, Macron stated that France will withdraw between 2,500 and 3,000 troops from the Sahel, while retaining other troops to thwart militant operations and supporting regional forces. On 13 July, he announced that Barkhane would end in

6696-514: The need to provide stability in the wider Sahel region by helping the region's various governments combat terrorism. The former French Defense Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian , said that France recognised that "there still is a major risk that jihadists develop in the area that runs from the Horn of Africa to Guinea-Bissau ." Therefore, Operation Barkhane was launched in order to assure the Sahel nations' security, and in effect France's security. The operation

6789-511: The next four to six months. French forces fully withdrew from Mali on 15 August. The French military stated that the operation was not ending, but being reformulated. However on 9 November, Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane. As part of the fallout from the Libyan Civil War , instability in northern Mali caused by a Tuareg rebellion against the central Malian government was exploited by Islamist groups who gained control over

6882-633: The norms of international law." She said the conflict in the Middle East "is useful to those seeking to distract the free world from its support for Ukraine." In August 2023, the media reported that Kallas's husband, Arvo Hallik, had a 24.9% share in the transportation company Stark Logistics, which had continued to transport raw materials to Russia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine , despite Kallas having previously called for Estonian companies to cease operations in Russia. The company had generated approximately €1.5 million in revenue from providing

6975-436: The north of Mali, including a number of high ranking foreign jihadists from AQIM. On 12 April 2016, three French soldiers were killed when their armored personnel carrier struck a land mine. The convoy of about 60 vehicles was travelling to the northern desert town of Tessalit when it hit the mine. Another French soldier was killed on 4 November 2016 following the explosion of a mine near the town of Abeïbara , which made 2016

7068-415: The northern half of the country. In response, France launched a military operation in January 2013 to stop the Islamist offensive from toppling the Malian government and to re-capture northern Mali. The operation, codenamed Operation Serval , ended in the complete re-capture of all Islamist held territory by the operation's conclusion on 15 July 2014. Following the end of Operation Serval, France recognised

7161-401: The operation would soon be coming to an end and instead be replaced by a mission involving forces from more countries. He also added that the French forces will withdraw in a phased manner, but some will remain as part of another international mission, for which France would convince other countries to join. As to the reason for the withdrawal, he stated that France could not continue to work with

7254-432: The opposition to vote down the preschool education bill, that would have made teaching Estonian language mandatory in preschool. Kallas symbolically resigned on 14 July 2022, to form a new coalition with Social Democratic Party and Isamaa . As prime minister, Kallas attracted international attention as a leader in efforts to support Ukraine during the Russian invasion, delivering more military equipment to Ukraine as

7347-2023: The reconstruction of the runway from November 2014; will be extended to a length of 1,800 metres (5,900 ft). Aviation facilities will be added: a ramp and two parking areas for aircraft and helicopter pads. Tactical transport aircraft can land there since December 2014. In 2017, the A400M transport aircraft made its first operational mission to Niger after landing at Madama. 21°56′43″N 13°38′52″E  /  21.945168°N 13.647910°E  / 21.945168; 13.647910 Operation Barkhane Failure of French forces in suppressing jihadists [REDACTED]   France [REDACTED] G5 Sahel [REDACTED]   Estonia [REDACTED]   Sweden [REDACTED]   Czech Republic [REDACTED] Emmanuel Macron ( President of France , from 2017) [REDACTED] Élisabeth Borne ( Prime Minister of France , from 2022) [REDACTED] Assimi Goïta ( President of Mali , from 2021) [REDACTED] Abdoulaye Maïga ( Prime Minister of Mali , from 2022) [REDACTED] Mohamed Bazoum ( President of Niger , from 2021) [REDACTED] Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou ( Prime Minister of Niger , from 2021) [REDACTED] Ibrahim Traoré ( President of Burkina Faso , from 2022) [REDACTED] Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem de Tambèla ( Prime Minister of Burkina Faso , from 2022) [REDACTED] Mohamed Ould Ghazouani ( President of Mauritania , from 2019) [REDACTED] Mohamed Ould Bilal ( Prime Minister of Mauritania , from 2020) [REDACTED] Mahamat Déby ( President of Chad , from 2021) [REDACTED] Saleh Kebzabo ( Prime Minister of Chad , from 2022) [REDACTED] Alar Karis ( President of Estonia , from 2021) [REDACTED] Kaja Kallas ( Prime Minister of Estonia , from 2021) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Charles III ( King of

7440-485: The remaining soldiers split between a surveillance base in Niger, a bigger permanent base in Ivory Coast, and some special forces in Burkina Faso. According to original plans, the French forces were supplied with 20 helicopters, 200 armored vehicles, 10 transport aircraft, 6 fighter planes, and 3 drones. French Army Aviation currently have two Aérospatiale SA 330 Pumas in Chad. The division of labor between France and

7533-508: The rights of small and medium-sized enterprises, maintaining that borders in the digital world hinder the emergence of innovative companies. She is a proponent of innovation and frequently emphasises that regulations cannot and must not hinder the technological revolution. Kallas served as rapporteur for six reports: opinion on the ePrivacy Regulation , civil law rules on robotics, on the Annual report on EU Competition Policy, and on Delivering

7626-505: The soldier subsequently died from his wounds. On 4 May 2020, a second soldier from the 1er REC was killed in action near Gao during a firefight with an insurgent force. On 3 June, French forces achieved one of their most significant successes of Operation Barkhane with the killing of Abdelmalek Droukdel , the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). French and American intelligence sources had identified Droukdel's presence in

7719-490: The stated aim of helping the countries' governments to maintain control of their territory and preventing the region from becoming a safe haven for Islamist terrorist groups that plan to attack France and Europe. On 24 May 2021, the 2021 Malian coup d'état was carried out by Vice President Assimi Goïta . French President Emmanuel Macron announced in June 2021 that the operation would soon end and French forces would pull out in

7812-462: The summer of 2017, with 8 French soldiers being wounded by a mortar attack on their base in Timbuktu on 1 June. On the night of 17 June, France suffered its tenth soldier killed during an airborne operation in the north-east of Mali. On 4 October 2017, French forces operating as part of Barkhane were the first to respond to the ambush of American soldiers searching for an Islamic State commander on

7905-573: The village of Bounti, in the central Mopti region, on 3 January. The French military denied these claims and asserted that the strike had successfully targeted a group of jihadist fighters. France announced it had suspended joint military operations with Mali on 3 June, in response to the coup d'état carried out by the Malian military, resulting in the deposition of the interim president Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane in May. The president of France Emmanuel Macron announced on 10 June that

7998-525: The warrant as a "scare tactic" by Russia. On 28 June 2024, Kallas was nominated to become High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy . A confirmatory vote by the European Parliament is expected to take place in November. She formally resigned as prime minister on 15 July, but remained in office until the creation of a new government on 22 July. She will also become Vice-President of

8091-698: Was a board member of Nelja Energia . From 2009 to 2010, Kallas was a board member of the Estonian Wind Power Association. In 2010, Kallas joined the Estonian Reform Party . In the 2011 parliamentary elections she won a seat in the Riigikogu (for the Harju County and Rapla County constituency) receiving 7,157 votes. She was a member of the 12th Parliament of Estonia and chaired the Economic Affairs Committee from 2011 to 2014. In

8184-436: Was a significant political problem. In January 2022, Kallas committed Estonia to donating howitzers to Ukraine to assist in its defence against a possible Russian invasion, pending German approval as the howitzers were originally purchased from Germany. When Germany delayed in giving an answer, Estonia sent American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles instead in the first weeks of February 2022. Following Russia's recognition of

8277-471: Was attacked on 11 January 2018, by a suicide car bomb while driving between the towns of Idelimane and Ménaka. Three French soldiers were wounded, one seriously, in the attack which was later claimed by Islamic State in the Greater Sahara . On 14 February, a French airstrike killed at least 10 Jihadists at the border between Algeria and Mali. Two French soldiers from the 1st Spahi Regiment were killed and

8370-482: Was likely to hide from captured IS-GS members. Burkhard added that al-Sahrawi was travelling on a motorcycle with another person when he was killed. A unit comprising 20 soldiers of the French Army's special forces was then sent to confirm the identities of those killed and found that the strike had killed ten IS-GS members. On 24 September, a French soldier was killed in an armed clash with insurgents in Mali, close to

8463-421: Was mentioned as a possible candidate to replace NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg following his expected retirement that same year. She rejected any peace agreement that would cede part of Ukrainian territory to Russia. In March 2023, Kallas led the Reform Party to a decisive victory in the 2023 parliamentary election , increasing the party's seat count in the Riigikogu by three seats. Following

8556-480: Was named after a crescent-shaped dune type that is common in the Sahara desert . The French military initially intervened in Mali in early 2013 as part of Operation Serval , which successfully regained the northern half of the country from Islamist groups. Operation Barkhane is intended to follow up to that success and has expanded the French military's operations over a vast area of the Sahel region. The operation has

8649-685: Was triggered next to his armoured vehicle. Two further paratroopers from the 1er RHP were killed on 5 September 2020 by an improvised explosive device which struck their vehicle during an operation in the north of Mali. On 31 October 2020, French special Forces launched an operation near the town of Boulikessi near the border of Mali and Burkina Faso, 50 jihadists were killed and four were captured. On 10 November 2020, Ba Ag Moussa , Emir of Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin , along with 4 other militants were killed in an attack carried out by French Special forces . On 12 November 2020, French Mountains commandos operating under Barkhane killed 30 jihadists in

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