Share

Mali calls for more EU help amid attacks in Africa's Sahel

Share

BRUSSELS (AP) — The impoverished West African country of Mali on Tuesday urged the European Union to step up support for the Sahel region amid a spate of extremist attacks, as France buried two officers killed during a hostage rescue mission.

“It’s a race against time,” Foreign Minister Tiebile Drame said, following attacks in central Mali and across the border in northern Burkina Faso. He called for action from “Europe and other countries in the world that have the means and feel concerned by the terrorist threat.”

Speaking to reporters in Brussels after a meeting of EU and Sahel country government ministers, Drame said that “we need support. We need to speed up procedures. We need international mobilization in a concrete way.”

Security has deteriorated in the Sahel over the past decade, with extremist attacks occurring frequently. Both fighters and people seeking better lives in Europe move easily across the region’s long, porous borders.

Several groups linked to the Islamic State organization and al-Qaida are active in the region. In a rare video released late last month, Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi congratulated “brothers” in Burkina Faso, Mali and other countries for pledging allegiance.

Trending:
Watch: Protesters Disrupt Biden's NYC Fundraiser with Obama and Bill Clinton - 'BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS'

Once-peaceful Burkina Faso has been increasingly destabilized by jihadists from across the border in Mali. On Sunday unknown gunmen attacked a Catholic church during Mass, killing a priest and five worshippers.

Attacks have included the kidnapping of foreigners. The French special forces officers were killed Friday during an operation to free foreign hostages in Burkina Faso. They were part of a French military operation trying to root out Islamic extremists in the Sahel.

The region also includes conflict-torn Libya’s neighbors Chad and Niger, as well as Mauritania further west.

“This is a situation that’s getting worse and we must do something about it,” Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said.

The region is a transit hub and path for migrants trying to reach Europe, and the EU has earmarked around 8 billion euros ($9 billion) in development support for Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Mauritania for 2014-2020. Last year the EU and other donors raised more than 400 million euros to fund a regional counter-terror force.

The 5,000-strong force remains short of equipment and training. A branch of al-Qaida set off a car bomb at its headquarters in central Mali last year.

Reynders said the Europeans “want to see the very clear willingness of the Sahel countries to take charge of border control, the security aspects of all those pathways used by armed groups to get from one country to another.”

He also said the EU must do more to bolster the regional force with military and police support.

Mali’s Drame said many of the region’s problems are exacerbated by the conflict in Libya.

Related:
Former MSNBC Host Chuck Todd Furious After Network Hires Former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel

“The misery of a country like Mali comes from Libya, from the collapse of Libya and the chaos there,” he said. “We want the EU to step up action and coordinate policies to contribute to peace and stability in Libya. If not, all our efforts will be wasted.”

___

Associated Press writer Cara Anna in Johannesburg contributed.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation