Operation Barkhane is an anti-terrorist operation in Africa's Sahel region beginning in August 2014. It consists of a 3,000-strong French force, which will be permanent and headquartered in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. The operation has been designed with five countries, and former French colonies, that span the Sahel: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.The operation is named after a crescent-shaped dune in the Sahara desert.