(9 Jul 2021) No dust, no heat, no roadside IEDs – this year's Bastille Day parade is a walk in the park for the Foreign Legion soldiers who were deployed in the Sahel region in recent years.
In spring 2020, Sergeant Mihahil spent five months in Mali as part of Operation Barkhane, France's seven-year effort fighting extremists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State organisation.
Foreign Legion recruits are trained to survive in extreme conditions, constantly on the move and with little to no outside help.
Complaining is a foreign language to him, but Sergeant Mihahil did confirm the assignment was 'not easy'.
France is preparing to reduce its military presence in West Africa's Sahel region — the vast area south of the Sahara Desert where extremist groups are fighting for control.
In June, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane.
France's more than 5,000 troops will be reduced in the coming months, although no time frame has been given.
Instead, France will participate in a Special Forces unit with other European countries and African countries will be responsible for patrolling the Sahel.
France has several thousand troops covering more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of terrain in the volatile region where the borders of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso meet.

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