Operation Barkhane Part of the 2012 Northern Mali conflict, Insurgency in the Maghreb and the War on Terror French soldiers (3rd RPIMa) and Nigerien. Fort Madama in Niger, 12 November 2014. Date 1 August 2014 – Present Location Sahel: Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad Belligerents France Mali Niger Burkina Faso Mauritania Chad Support: United Kingdom[1][2] Canada[3][4] Al-Mourabitoun (2014-17) AQIM (2014–present) Ansar Dine (2014-17) Commanders and leaders François Hollande (2014-2017) Emmanuel Macron (2017–present) Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta Mahamadou Issoufou Michel Kafando Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz Idriss Déby Djamel Okacha Iyad ag Ghali Mokhtar Belmokhtar Strength 3,500 French troops[5] 3,000 fighters (all groups)[6] Casualties and losses 8 killed[7][8] 65 killed, 60 captured[9]