Peran Militer Prancis di Mali

On 10 January 2013, Islamist forces captured the strategic town of Konna, located 600km from the capital, from the Malian army.^[110] Later, an estimated 1,200 Islamist fighters advanced to within 20 kilometers of Mopti, a nearby Mali military garrison town.^[24]
The following day, the French military launched Opération Serval, intervening in the conflict.^[111] According to analysts, the French were forced to act sooner than planned because of the importance of Sévaré military airport, located 60km south of Konna, for further operations.^[112] The operation included the use of Gazelle helicopters from the Special forces, which stopped an Islamist column advancing to Mopti, and the use of four Mirage 2000-D jets operating from a base in Chad. 12 targets were hit by the Mirages during the night between the 11th and the 12th. The French chief of army staff, Amiral Guillaud, announced that the Islamists had withdrawn from Konna and retreated several dozen of kilometres into the north.^[113] The air strikes reportedly destroyed half a dozen Islamist armed pick-up trucks^[114] and a rebel command center. One French pilot, Lieutenant Damien Boiteux, was killed after his attack helicopter was downed by ground fire during the operation.^[115][116]

Kita teringat membaca komik Tanguy-Laverdure, maka kita ingat pertempuran di Mali yang baru saja meletus. Bila kita ingat bagaimana teroris di Mali bagian Utara bisa mendapatkan senjata dari konflik Libya. 

Chad, Mali dan lain-lain negara di Afrika Utara memang berbahasa Prancis, dan mereka terus meminta bantuan Prancis bilamana tidak dapat menyelesaikan masalah sendiri. Para Islamist radikal di Mali memang mulai bertingkah - entah karena ideologi mana - seolah-olah mudah untuk mendirikan negara islam - sesuatu yang ditakutkan oleh bangsa barat. 

Tetapi bila kita ingat juga bahwa sejak Afghanistan menghancurkan patung Budha peninggalan sejarah, maka mereka pun dihancurkan oleh AS (Taliban). Maka demikian pula yang terjadi dengan terorist separatis MNLA di Mali (ini negeri yang ada kota "Timbuktu" - sering jadi tempat pelarian Donald Bebek). 

Mudah-mudahan mereka segera berdamai - dan bagaimana cerita Mirage 2000-D dalam konflik ini kita akan segera dengar.