Maps and details about Operation Barkhane and the 5,100 forces involved also show drones.
But how many were used. Usually it says 3 Reapers.
Images are also posted and interview, “the Reaper drones have become an essential tool for a number of operations carried out by Operation Barkhane against armed terrorist groups in the Sahelo-Saharan strip (BSS). Interview with Lieutenant-Colonel Romain…” Created in 2010 the 1/33 Belfort squadron is key to this. Since the end of 2019, the Reapers have been armed. with payloads that sit on pylons which support the GBU12 bombs guided by laser.
A recent post by the Ministry of the Armed Forces seems to show the US contributing drones;
How does the team work. The article notes the 4-person crew: “consists of a remote pilot (the PAD), a sensor operator (the equivalent of a weapon system officer on a fighter aircraft), a tactical coordinator who is a training intelligence officer and an image operator who is a training image interpreter.”
Why were they armed
France and the US worked together as well reportedly;
Other drones could have been involved;
And also
Of interest, in nearby Mali deployed by Germany:
Operated by Airbus,
Also another drone used in the region;
“IN SERVICE OF PEACE: Thales UK is operating an Elbit Systems Hermes 900 Medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from Timbuktu airport in support of the United Nations (UN) Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).”
Drone Wars: The book 