Mauritania leader, French FM discuss joint Sahel force

By Mohamed al-Bakay

NOUAKCHOTT (AA) - Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Nouakchott on Friday to discuss the planned deployment of a joint military force in the Sahel states, according to Mauritania’s official news agency.

“We discussed the planned deployment of a joint force, which Sahel leaders have agreed to establish and which will soon be approved by the UN Security Council,” the news agency quoted Le Drian as saying after the meeting.

Along with Mauritania, Africa’s north-central Sahel region includes Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad and Niger.

Le Drian said he and the Mauritanian president “agree on the importance of deploying this force and its stated mission of fighting terrorism”.

The force, the French FM was quoted as saying, “will be tasked with countering the terrorist threat, which threatens the stability of the entire region”.

He added: “The presence of a force tasked with protecting borders will complement our efforts to fight terrorism, which not only threatens the Sahel region, but also Europe -- making terrorism a common enemy.”

Earlier Friday, Le Drian arrived in the Mauritanian capital for a two-day official visit.

At a February meeting in Malian capital Bamako, representatives of the five Sahel states announced plans to establish a joint military force -- trained by France -- tasked with fighting terrorist groups in the region.