BAMAKO: The EU is giving 50 million euros to set up a joint African military force in the Sahel region to fight jihadists, the bloc’s foreign affairs chief said Monday. “Stability and development of the Sahel region are crucial not only for Africa but also for Europe,” said Mogherini. “This contribution will arrive very quickly and I hope (it) will set out the right path to other partners of the Sahel G5”. “The heads of state of the Sahel G5 who met in Riyadh just a few weeks ago decided to bring the number from 5,000 men to 10,000 men. The initial decision to create the G5 Sahel force, in the semi-arid region south of the Sahara, was made in November 2015, during a summit in N’Djamena.

Source: Manila Times June 06, 2017 02:15 UTC