Actually the FAR deployed to Africa starting in 1995 according to the RDF
Sept 1995
Not to be outdone, the French activated the Foreign Legion
Operational Group (GOLE) and deployed them to Djibouti. The
US government committed the rest of the 7th Special Forces
Group and a ranger battalion for anti-terrorist duties.
That means all the French Legion units in the RDF are there in 1995 long before WWIII starts in Europe or any action against Germany
August 24, 1998
Their cargo was the 9th Marine Division. Two days later, forward elements of the French 11th Airborne Division began landing in Djibouti. The French government made it clear that these forces were there to assist the
host governments in maintaining order.
The first major deployment of the FAR came in the fall of
1995. The Foreign Legion Operational Group was activated and
sent to Djibouti to assist in internal security duties. A task force
of French Marine Infantry was stationed at Dakar at the request
of the Senegalese government.
As to combat
When the FAR was reorganized in 1990, Major General
Cervelan was named as its' chief of staff. In 1998, when the
FAR deployed in part to West Africa, General Cervelan commanded
an operational group in action against pro-Soviet
guerillas in Senegal and Mauritania.
So what do you have - the Foreign Legion Units and at least a detachment of Marines were gone from France by 1995
The rest of the force showed up in August of 1998
French takeover of the Dead Zone was in January of 1998
So what do we know
1) Part of the FAR was in Senegal and Mauritania prior to August of 1998 fighting guerrilla forces
2) The Foreign Legion showed up in Djibouti in 1995
Thus the casualties suffered by the following groups all had to occur from 1995 until Dec 2000 in Djibouti as they didnt do any fighting in the Middle East
Foreign Legion Operational Group (GOLE) HQ: Djibouti
13th Foreign Legion Demi-brigade (500 men) Djibouti
1st Foreign Legion Infantry Rgt (600 men) Basra, Iraq
2nd Foreign Legion Infantry Rgt (600 men) Djibouti
1st Foreign Legion Cavalry Rgt (600 men, 24 AFVs):
Djibouti
2nd Foreign Legion Parachute Rgt (600 men) Al Kuwayt,
Kuwayt
the obvious inference is that there has been a heck of a lot of fighting that is not covered in the canon between the Legion and Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea all of which border on Djibouti
enough to have destroyed at least 12-24 AFV's and somewhere around 1600-2000 men or so
Keep in mind - Africa is one heck of a dangerous place - and anti-guerrilla fighing even if you control the sea and air is a great way to take lots of casualties
i.e. Vietnam for the US and Afghanistan for the Soviets
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