"An exceptional book. A detailed personal account of recent, very impressive, French combat operations in central Africa and long term thinking on the military and political challenges of similar campaigns, in Africa and elsewhere."

--John Scarlett KCMG OBE, former Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), United Kingdom.

"Commanding a battlegroup composed of legionnaires and mountain troops, Dirou's mission was broader and more complex than the pure use of military force against the armed groups terrorising the population. His book, combines story-telling power with the insights of a seasoned soldier whose battlegroup conducted itself with expertise and distinction in an often inhospitable terrain. It is an important contribution to our understanding of today's conflicts". -- Jon Swain, war reporter and author of "River of Time", United Kingdom. "This is a grippingly told story anda brilliant analysis of an operation contradicting the claim that Western military interventions are always in pursuit of narrow national self-interests, commercial or of the "it's all about oil" variety. Here an entire operation - admittedly woefully understaffed - was designed exclusively to pacify a state and save the lives of thousands of civilians threatened directly by inhumane insurgents. An amazing success, this case study needs to be considered when generalising about motivations and results of great power interventions in the early 21st century." ---Professor Beatrice Heuser, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.

The book explains in practical terms the theoretical teachings of African politics, international relations, and war studies experts, based on operational experiences. The evolution of military engagement and related international legal concepts has profoundly modified the approach to combat and its conduct in the field. The author argues that war studies and the African political landscape have changed significantly in recent years. Therefore, the author asks the question of whether true, enduring, and decisive victory is still possible in contemporary conflicts. Even if the response is positive, is it possible for political and development leaders to understand how best to take advantage of victory for the people of that country?

Armel Dirou is Researcher and Military Attaché in the UK and Non-Resident Defence Attaché in Ireland.

Auteur

Armel Dirou is a French Senior Officer and a Researcher, France.

Texte du rabat

Contenu

ForewordPreface

Chapter 1: The Central African Republic

Chapter 2: Mission Preparation

Chapter 3: A Holistic Approach

Chapter 4: Failure at M'Bali

Chapter 5: A Raid Through the Jungle

Chapter 6: A Town to Seize