Meeting on the fight against terrorism in West Africa

Terrorist attacks and their consequences continue to raise concerns in different African countries.

Between January and June 2018 more than one hundred deaths were recorded in various terrorist incidents across Africa.

The attacks come at a time when West African countries are increasingly moving towards the effective establishment of an autonomous African force that will essentially invest in the fight against jihadist groups. In order to accelerate its establishment, the France-West Africa Interparliamentary Friendship Group, consisting of 17 African countries, have discussed several strategies that could help in the fight against this phenomenon. During a strategic meeting held on Saturday, June 9, 2018 in Paris, they addressed the various problems impeding the fight against terrorism.

This is what André Reichardt, president of the France-West Africa interparliamentary friendship Group commented on the issue.

“We know what the concerns are; naturally, economic development, social development, the French-speaking world, strong demographics… that pose food subsistence problems for all populations, global warming. But really after having examined these various concerns in an order of priorities, it became clear that it was the fight against terrorism that needed to be developed in such a way that this fight would not thwart the development of all the other policies I have just mentioned. You have understood that for example in decentralized cooperation, each senator of this friendship group represents a territory here in France.”

The response to the proliferation of jihadist attacks has called for reflection on the various tools to be put in place in the fight against terrorism, which will also be discussed at a meeting of representatives of the G5 Sahel on June 18 in Brussels.

Africanews journalist Armelle Nga says, Estonia has also pledged to assist the French military operation in Mali with some 50 of its soldiers near Gao. The main objective of the force, which will spend one year in the country, will be to conduct patrols and protect military bases in and around Gao.