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Ten years ago, during a battle with local rebels in Mali, West Africa, Staff Sergeant Harold Vormezeele was killed. He was a member of the commando group with the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP).
Read more10 years ago: Staff Sergeant Harold Vormezeele was killed in Mali
Since early June 2022, an important part of the 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE) has been deployed to West Africa to take part in anti-terrorist Operation Barkhane.
In August 2021, a route clearance group of legionnaires from the French Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) was involved in a mine detection mission in Mali, West Africa, in support of a French military logistics convoy. One of them, a 21-year-old legionnaire named Oleksandr, from Eastern Europe, detected an explosive device set there by local terrorists.
The legionnaires from the Desert Task Force “Dragon”, armed mostly by the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI), continued in the desert of West Africa their effort against local terrorist groups even in June 2020, within France’s Operation Barkhane.
Adjudant Franc from the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC), the only cavalry regiment of the French Foreign Legion, is currently deployed to Mali (West Africa). He and his men operate within Operation Barkhane, a French counter-terrorism operation in the Sahel region of Africa. Having passed 16 years with the Foreign Legion, he is now a respected platoon leader.
Read more1er REC: Legionnaire heading an armored platoon during Operation Barkhane in Mali
On May 8, 2020, a ceremony took place at Camp Carpiagne in southern France to bid a final farewell to the two legionnaires of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) who were killed in Mali.
Read more1er REC: Bidding a final farewell to two legionnaires killed in Mali in May 2020
In April 2020, 600 legionnaires from the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) continue to search and neutralize the Terrorist Armed Groups (GAT) in the remote three-border region of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, in the Sahel area of Africa.
On 4 March 2020, during anti-terrorist Operation Barkhane in Mali (West Africa), a reconnaissance group of the 2nd Squadron, 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) got contact with two armed terrorist group members and neutralized them. The action was captured by reporters from Paris Match, a popular French newspaper. See video.
Read more1er REC: Neutralisation of two terrorists during Operation Barkhane in Mali
In January 2020, several companies of the Foreign Legion’s 2e REP arrived in Africa’s Sahel region to reinforce French troops in their fight against local terrorist groups. Between these paratroopers, a legionnaire from South Africa.