French anti-jihadist force commander discusses new Mali base In an interview with AFP and RFI from his headquarters in N'Djamena, General Frederic Blachon announces the deployment of the French anti-jihadist force Barkhane beyond Liptako to the vast Gourma region. This border area with Burkina Faso is one of the places most "sought by terrorists to carry out their actions." The Islamist revolt in the Sahel took off after chaos engulfed Libya in 2011. Large areas of Mail remain out of control, and the jihadists have gained ground in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, while Chad is battling unrest on its borders. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES(COMPLETES VID1326406_EN)