As reported by France24 on 17 June 2021, a seasoned member of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), Dadi Ould Chouaib (also known as Abou Dardar) was arrested by French forces on 11 June.‚  He was located during a helicopter sweep in Mali"s border region with Niger and Burkina Faso, where there have been frequent attacks by jihadist groups. World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "French forces in the Sahel region of Africa have been assisting government troops to combat violent Islamic militancy in the region for the past eight years. French President Macron"s announcement to withdraw French troops earlier in June (France24, 10 June 2021) has fueled fears that jihadists will be able to tighten their grip on the region in the absence of French counter-terrorism skills. The arrest of the high-ranking ISGS fighter is a significant development: Dardar was a former member of the al-Qaeda-linked Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). First arrested in 2014, he was one of around 200 jihadist prisoners released by Mali"s government in October 2020 in exchange for four hostages, including a French aid worker. It is hoped that other high-ranking jihadists can be apprehended in a similar fashion and charged accordingly as an effective deterrent to other group members. By targeting militant group leadership, it is hoped that jihadist activities in the region will be destabilized, leading to longed-for relief among civilians, especially among Christians who have suffered many attacks from militant groups over the years."