Credit:  France24 screen shot /   Burkina Faso President Roch Kabore with French President Macron and Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou at the Pau Summit in France Jan. 13, 2020.  France and the G5 Sahel (Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania) agree for a “Coalition for the Sahel”.

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC TIMES

The Foreign and Defence Ministers of the G5 Sahel countries and France officially established the International Coalition for the Sahel region in Africa this week.   A videoconference held Monday also examined the on the evolution of the situation in the Sahel amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Coalition for the Sahel was launched during the Pau Summit of January 13, 2020 in France, by the Heads of State of France, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad, in the presence of the United Nations Secretary-General, the President of the European Council, the European Union High Representative, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Secretary General of La Francophonie.  “The Ministers welcomed the progress made in the fight against terrorism, including the activation of a joint command mechanism between the Barkhane Force and the G5 Sahel Joint Force, the launch of the G5 Sahel Joint Force’s Operation SAMA, and the implementation of several multi-party operations. They congratulated the Chadian armed forces on their operational success against Boko Haram, which has now been driven out of all the Chadian islands of Lake Chad, and called for international assistance to consolidate the results of that operation,” according to a joint statement released. 

European Union Announces €194 Million Additional Support to the Sahel

Source: franceintheus.org /  The COVID-19 pandemic presents another  challenge to the strife-ridden Sahel region of Africa. 

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell participated in the EU-G5 Sahel videoconference in Brussels this week.   At the conference, the  EU  reaffirmed its support to the Sahel region, including in facing the coronavirus pandemic and its impact.  The European Commission announced an additional €194 million to support the “security, stability and resilience” in the Sahel.  The new financial commitments announced are composed of €112 million to help strengthen the security and defence capabilities of the G5 Sahel countries, while ensuring respect for human rights and international humanitarian law as well as re-establishing the presence of the State and basic services throughout the territory. The remaining €82 million will be mobilised to intensify development efforts and help improving living conditions, resilience and social cohesion of vulnerable populations.

“The situation in the Sahel keeps deteriorating and the coronavirus pandemic cannot make us forget how serious the situation is in a region whose challenges are our challenges as well. The Sahel must remain on top of the international agenda. Our meeting today showed a clear commitment by all to accelerate joint efforts. I want to underline the important initiatives taken by the G5 Sahel countries themselves, the engagement of ECOWAS and the coordination role of the African Union. I am pleased to see the support from the African Union, including with the upcoming adoption of a stabilisation strategy for the region and the operationalisation of the African Peace and Security Architecture.”

High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell,  stated.

To support the Sahel countries, the European Union has mobilised €4.5 billion for the period 2014-2020.

Terror and violent attacks linked to militant Islamic groups in the Africa SAHEL  region have increased dramatically during the past few years.  The main African countries on the front lines in the battle against terrorism in the dangerous Sahel region are Mauritania, Niger, Mali, Chad, and Burkina Faso.  Earlier this month about 25 soldiers were killed early Monday in an apparent “terrorist” attack on  a Malian Armed forces (FAMa) base in Bamba, northern Mali.

Last month, at least 29 soldiers  were killed in an attack  an army post in northeast Mali, according to the armed forces. The attack took place in the town of Tarkint, north of the city of Gao.  It was the deadliest attack since last November 2019  when at least 54 soldiers  were in an attack  on an army base in northern Mali.