[AFP via Breitbart] ‐ France’s defence minister departs for Washington on Sunday hoping to convince officials to keep U.S. soldiers in West Africa, where French authorities are under pressure after years of trying to bolster local forces against Islamic extremists.Florence Parly’s visit comes just days after her tour of the Sahel region, a vast arid expanse where states have little more than nominal control, allowing jihadist fighters to flourish.
Paris and its allies consider the region increasingly critical for ensuring Europe’s security against jihadist threats and for stemming an unchecked flow of migrants across the Mediterranean.
The United States has been a key ally for France’s 4,500-member Barkhane operation, providing intelligence and surveillance via drones as well as in-flight refuelling and logistical transport, at a cost of $45 million a year.
"The American commitment to the region is essential because they provide critical capabilities, some of which cannot be replaced," an official in the French presidency told AFP this week.
But President Donald Trump insists the U.S. must focus on containing Russia and China, with Africa seen as less of a direct threat ‐ and one that should be left to France and the European Union.