On September 28, 2021, Szilárd Németh, Parliamentary State Secretary and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Defence, addressed the Hungarian National Assembly, requesting support for the government’s decision to deploy the Hungarian Defence Forces in another combat operation—this time in Mali, under the framework of Task Force Takuba, which operates under the command of the French-led Operation Barkhane.
Following the National Assembly’s approval on November 9, Hungary made a historic decision: for the first time, it would send a contingent to participate in managing an active armed conflict in Africa. This analysis explores the framework of Hungary’s involvement, the nature of Task Force Takuba, as well as the security environment in Mali and its main trends.
