About: G5 Sahel
Sahel ministers cancel joint EU talks amid growing chaos
Ministers from Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger cancelled joint talks with the EU at the last minute on Wednesday, in favour of bilateral meetings with the bloc’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell.
Mali asks Denmark to immediately withdraw troops deployed there
Mali's government said it had asked Denmark to immediately withdraw troops deployed to the West African nation as part of a French-led counter-terrorism task force because it was not consulted and the deployment failed to follow protocol.
Will France quit Mali? Crunch time nears as junta defies Paris
As relations between France and Mali sour rapidly, Paris is wondering whether it is time to stop providing military backup to a country run by a junta that has defied the international community.
EU to review its African military missions following Wagner link
The EU will conduct Strategic Reviews in early 2022 into its military and defence cooperation missions in Africa, following reports that EU officials were providing training to local forces in the Central African Republic alongside the Russian mercenary group, Wagner.
France’s exit from the Sahel war offers Russia an opportunity to move in
Another Western army is leaving a fragile, landlocked region. But whereas the United States has pulled its troops out of one country, Afghanistan, France is walking away from five, argues Faisal Al Yafai
Macron to reassure African leaders on commitment to fighting terror
President Emmanuel Macron will seek to reassure Sahel leaders of his commitment to Africa's anti-terror fight on Friday (9 July), at their first talks since he announced a reduction of French troops in West Africa.
Breaking the habit: a new EU approach in the Sahel
The death of Chad's strong-man president underscores the need for the EU to overhaul its strategy in the Sahel region, writes Bram Dijkstra.
The EU needs a new approach in the Sahel
This week's G5 Sahel meeting in Chad has underscored the urgent need for a rethink of the EU's approach to the Sahel region, write Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana and Dissan Gnoumou.
Withdrawing French troops from Sahel ‘would be a mistake’, Macron says
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday (16 February) backed away from immediately withdrawing French troops deployed in the Sahel region of north west Africa following a two day summit on the future of the mission against Islamic militant groups in the region.
EU must step up military assistance to Mozambique, says Portuguese presidency
The European Union must step up its military and security assistance for Mozambique as the southeast African country struggles to cope with a growing threat of jihadist insurgency, Portugal’s foreign minister, Augusto Santos Silva, has told EURACTIV.
Mali’s President detained as EU condemns attempted coup
Mali’s president and prime minister were detained by military forces on Tuesday night (18 August) in what the EU described as an attempted coup d’etat.
France and Sahel leaders gather for summit on anti-jihad campaign
Leaders from five West African countries and their ally France gathered Tuesday (30 June) to take stock of a new strategy to intensify the fight against jihadist insurgents in the Sahel.
EU to discuss Africa debt relief
EU countries will discuss a request for debt relief from five Sahel countries as part of efforts to help them cope with coronavirus, European Council chief Charles Michel said Tuesday (28 April).
French forces face military trap in Sahel region
Operation Barkhane was supposed to be France’s contribution to ridding jihadists from the Sahel region, one of its main spheres of influence in Africa. But instead, President Emmanuel Macron is increasingly isolated – both in Africa and in Europe.
EU and France ramp up €1.3bn support for G5 Sahel
The EU and France ramped up their funding for the G5 Sahel anti-terror alliance to €1.3bn at a two day donor summit in Mauritania on Thursday (6 December).
Donors fail to ‘stabilise’ Sahel
The EU and the international community are ramping up their funding for the G5 Sahel counter-terror mission, but are not providing the money needed for humanitarian relief in the region, argues Jan Egeland.
Mali opposition leader rejects results as counting underway
Malian opposition candidate Soumaila Cisse said on Monday he would reject the results of a presidential runoff marred by accusations of fraud, violence and low turnout, calling on the population "to rise up."
EU asks Mali for details of key presidential vote
The European Union on Tuesday (31 July) pressured Mali to present a "complete and detailed list" of polling stations where a key presidential election could not be held due to violence.
EU relies on stability in the Sahel for its own security
“Europe’s security, and that of Spain, depend on security in the Sahel," said the EU Special Representative for the Sahel, Ángel Losada. EURACTIV’s partner Euroefe reports.
New EU ‘Peace fund’ could buy weapons for Africa
The EU wants to pay for military equipment, including lethal weaponry, for partner countries in crisis zones such as Africa's Sahel region as part of a €10.5-billion "peace facility" launched on Wednesday (13 June).
Getting serious in the Sahel
Combating Islamic terrorism in the Sahel region has united Europe and the wider international community. Most attention has been focused on the G5 Sahel joint military operation which has been tasked with combating jihadist groups in the region.
More funds for G5 Sahel after Brussels conference
The funds mobilised in support of the armed forces of the countries in the Sahel region amount to €414 million following the summit in Brussels. However the issue of securing funding on a long-term basis has not been solved.