On 1 August 2014, France launched a counterterrorism mission, Operation Barkhane, deploying 3,000 soldiers in the member states of G5 Sahel.[6] On 20 December, G5 Sahel, with the backing of the African Union, called on the United Nations Security Council to set up an international force to "neutralize armed groups, help national reconciliation, and establish stable democratic institutions in Libya."[7] This was met with opposition from Algeria.[citation needed]