Operation Serval (French: Opération Serval) was a French military operation to oust Islamist militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of the country.
Operation Serval followed the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2085 of 20 December 2012 and an official request by the interim Malian government for French military assistance. The operation ended on 15 July 2014, and was replaced by Operation Barkhane, launched on 1 August 2014 to fight Islamist fighters in the Sahel. Three of the five Islamist leaders, Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, Abdel Krim and Omar Ould Hamaha were killed, while Mokhtar Belmokhtar fled to Libya and Iyad ag Ghali fled to Algeria.
The operation was named after the serval, a medium-sized African wild cat.
Background
In January 2012, following an influx of weapons that occurred after the Libyan Civil War, Tuareg tribesmen of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) began a rebellion against Mali's central government. In April, the MNLA said it had accomplished its goals and called off its offensive against the government, proclaiming the independence of Azawad. In June 2012, the MNLA came into conflict with the Islamist groups Ansar Dine and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), after the Islamists began imposing Sharia in Azawad.
By 17 July, MOJWA and Ansar Dine had pushed the MNLA out of all the major cities. On 1 September 2012, the town of Douentza in the Mopti Region, until then controlled by the Ganda Iso militia, was taken by the MOJWA, and on 28 November 2012, the MNLA was pushed out of Léré, Timbuktu Region, by Ansar Dine.
Forces committed
French Forces
French Air Force
Initially, the French Air Force deployed two Mirage F1 CR Reconnaissance from the 2/33 Savoie Reconnaissance Squadron and six Mirage 2000D fighter jets, which were already part of the French military Opération Épervier in Chad. Additionally, the Air Force deployed three KC-135 Stratotanker planes, as well as one C-130 Hercules and one Transall C-160 transport planes from the French airbase in N'Djamena.
On 13 January, four Rafale fighter jets of the 1/7 Provence Fighter Squadron flew from the Saint-Dizier Airbase in France to attack targets in the city of Gao. The Rafale planes then proceeded to N'Djamena and would remain based there for the duration of the conflict. By 16 January, the French Air Force dispatched two additional KC-135 Stratotanker planes and two Harfang UAVs from the 1/33 Belfort Reconnaissance Squadron to N'Djamena.
To transport Army troops to Bamako, the Air Force used the Airbus A310 and A340 of the 3/60 Estérel Transport Squadron. On 23 January, a detachment of Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air was deployed to the airport in Bamako to provide security for the French Air Force assets stationed there and to execute combat search and rescue missions if necessary. Along with the Fusiliers, the Air Force deployed two Puma helicopters of the 1/67 Pyrénées Helicopter Squadron in the combat search and rescue role to Bamako. On 25 January, the Air Force deployed two additional Rafale fighter jets and two additional KC-135 Stratotanker planes to N'Djamena, bringing the total to six Rafale jets and 5 KC-135's in the theater of operations.
Transall C-160 transport planes from the 1/64 Béarn and 2/64 Anjou squadrons and C-130H Hercules transport planes from the 2/61 Franche Comté squadrons were used to ferry materiel to Bamako, while Transall C-160 transport planes from the 3/61 Poitou Transport Squadron flew reinforcements to the airport of Gao.
French Army
French Army forces deployed included one company of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment, an Armored Cavalry platoon of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment and one company of the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment. On 14 January, the French Army Light Aviation transported Eurocopter Tiger HAP attack helicopters from the 5e Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat to Mali. A company from the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment and soldiers from the 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment and the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment, which are all currently deployed as part of Opération Licorne in Ivory Coast, left Abidjan in a convoy of 60 vehicles for the Malian capital of Bamako.
The Commander of the French Land Forces, General Bertrand Clément-Bollée, announced that a company of the 92nd Infantry Regiment, equipped with VBCI Infantry fighting vehicles, has been sent to Mali. An additional three companies equipped with VBCI and one squadron equipped with Leclerc main battle tanks could be sent on short notice if required. An armored company of the Marine Infantry Tank Regiment is being deployed to Mali as are CAESAR self-propelled howitzers.
On 21 January, a company of the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment arrived in Bamako to provide security for the allied airhead. Ground operations are commanded by Brigadier General Bernard Barrera, commanding officer of the 3rd Mechanized Brigade.
The following units of the French Army were involved in Mali during the first period of operation:
- 3e Brigade Mécanisée (3e BM), deployed from France and tasked with command of the ground operations
- Brigade Command & Signals Company
- 1er Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (1er RIMa), one squadron with AMX 10 RC
- 92e Régiment d'Infanterie (92e RI), two companies with VBCI
- 126e Régiment d'Infanterie (126e RI), one company with VAB
- 68e Régiment d'Artillerie d'Afrique (68e RA), regimental command and one battery with CAESAR self-propelled 155mm howitzers
- 31e Régiment du Génie (31e RG), one company
- 6e Brigade Légère Blindée (6e BLB), redeployed from Opération Épervier
- 9e Brigade Légère Blindée de Marine (9e BLBM), deployed from France
- 11e Brigade Parachutiste (11e BP), redeployed from Opération Licorne
- Airmobile group
- Logistics battalion
- 7e Régiment du Matériel (7e RMAT), one company
- 511e Régiment du Train (511e RT), one squadron
- 515e Régiment du Train (515e RT), one squadron
- 28e Régiment de Transmissions (28e RT), one company
- Régiment Médical (RMED), 7th and 9th field hospitals in Bamako and Sévaré
At the end of May 2013, the French Army began to draw down its forces in Mali. For further combat operations, a mixed combat group named GTIA Désert (Groupement tactique interarmes Désert) was activated in Gao, on 20 May 2013. Only this combat group will remain in the area for further combat operations and to support the MISMA, MINUSMA and EUTM Mali missions, as well as the Malian Army. The GTIA Désert is composed of the following units:
French Navy
The French Navy deployed five Breguet Atlantic long-range reconnaissance aircraft operating from Dakar in Senegal and transported two companies of the 92nd Infantry Regiment along with their equipment and military materiel on the Mistral-class amphibious assault ship Dixmude from Toulon to Dakar in Senegal. Dixmude was escorted on her journey by the D'Estienne d'Orves-class corvette Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Hénaff.
Special Forces
National Gendarmerie
The French National Gendarmerie deployed two platoons of gendarmes to Mali in the military police role:
- 24/1 Mobile Gendarmerie Squadron, one platoon
- 21/9 Mobile Gendarmerie Squadron, one platoon
Intelligence
DGSE Service Action
Allied nations
These are the forces committed by the countries that support France (in alphabetical order):