Operation SERVAL in Mali: France’s role explained
Book Talk presented by: Thomas Flichy (ed..), Grégoire Mathias and Jérôme Pâris
On 4 November 2013, NATO Headquarters hosted a presentation of the book « 'Opération SERVAL au Mali : l'intervention française décryptée ». The book was written by the research group, Synopsis, who are linked to the Saint-Cyr-Coëtquidan Military School in France. The group includes historians and military researchers who try to interpret issues related to defence and geopolitics.
Overview
The book attempts to provide a specific perspective on both the outline of the conflicts that have always occurred in Mali and the recent action of France in this West African country.
The conference
The following points were discussed during the conference :
- Mali’s geopolitics and the historical perspective of Mali’s challenges, by Olivier Chantriaux and Thomas Flichy (respectively, Visiting Professor and Professor of History at the Saint-Cyr-Coëtquidan Military School)
- Panorama on the operations and actions of France in Mali, by Thomas Flichy
- Strategies of rebel groups and the counterinsurgency’s issue, by Grégoire Mathias (Visiting Professor at the Saint-Cyr-Coëtquidan Military School)
- Conclusion and considerations on the future of Mali, by Olivier Chantriaux
France’s exit strategy, ideally linked to the establishment of a possible Federated Malian State for greater stability in the region, introduced the debate with the audience.
The Authors
The authors of the book are Stéphane Baudens, Olivier Chantriaux, Amaury Colcombet, Jean-Baptiste Cousin, Thomas Flichy, Arnaud Griffon du Bellay, Pierre-Louis Lavie de Rande, Gregor Mathias, Jean-Eudes Miailhes, Jérôme Pâris, Antoine-Louis de Prémonville, Francis Simonis, Stéphane Taillat, and Anne-Sophie Traversac.