ADF STAFF
The Senegalese Armed Forces (SAF) launched an operation on land, river and air in February 2024 to restore security to the far east of the country, which borders Mali. The operation, known as Sentinelle Est, dismantled illegal gold mining sites along the Faleme River, disrupted trafficking routes and took on violent gangs menacing the region.
“The objective is to reinforce the security of the populations living along the border,” Senegal’s military public information directorate said in a statement. “Actions were made in all the border villages, sites of economic interest as well as uninhabited spaces.”
As of April 2024, the operation was ongoing. The SAF noted cooperation with its Malian counterparts to stop a “particularly violent” armed group operating in the area. The effort included land and river patrols, reconnaissance of cross-border routes, and outreach to the civilian population to promote awareness of the threats.
In an April 9 update, the directorate reported that the armed forces had a “good footprint on the ground,” and efforts were ongoing to “strengthen the security of the population and protect infrastructure and economic activity.”
Analysts have warned of the threat posed to Senegal by the expanding terror presence in western Mali, particularly fighters aligned to the extremist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin. This group operates near the Senegalese border in areas such as Kéniéba, Mali, a hub of illegal gold mining.
“The jihadists do not yet have the capacity to mine the gold themselves but rather seek to tax local miners,” wrote Mathias Khalfaoui for the Hudson Institute. “Beyond the financial benefits jihadists accrue in these regions, these areas of criminal activity are conducive to jihadist recruitment.”
In 2022, Senegal inaugurated a new military base in Goudiry in the east of the country. The base is meant to improve the military’s capability to address cross-border threats and trafficking.