FRANCE 24 accompanies French soldiers patrolling in Gao, Mali

The city of Gao, in northern Mali, is the heart of France's operation against jihadists in the region. FRANCE 24's Senior Reporter Cyril Payen was granted rare access to a French patrol there, just ahead of a major restructuring of “Operation Barkhane”, which should lead to a significant reduction in the number of French soldiers on Malian soil.