EU to Allocate $216Mln to Support Security in Africa’s Sahel Region - Mogherini

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The EU and its member states decided on Friday to allocate 176 million euros (about $216 million) to support the Joint Security Force of the G5 Sahel group of countries, namely Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, in tackling terrorism and criminal activities, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said.

Earlier in the day, the International High Level Conference on the Sahel was held in Brussels. The event was co-chaired by the European Union, the United Nations, the African Union and the G5 Sahel group.

"The most important figure that I am happy to share with you today is that we mobilized a total support of 414 million euros. Thanks to a huge mobilisation not only from the EU and its Member States but also from the other international partners. The EU and its Member States contribute to these 414 million euros with a total 176 million euros," Mogherini said, as quoted by the European External Action Service (EEAS) speaking about the need to back the response of the G5 Sahel group to the security challenges, including terrorism.

READ MORE: US Provides $60 Mln to Support Counterterror Efforts in Africa's Sahel Region

The diplomat added that the five African nations should define their security strategies together adding that they know the problems of the region better.

The G5 Sahel bloc was set up in 2014 to discuss security and development in the region. In 2017, the five African nations launched a multinational force aimed at fighting terrorists in the Sahel region and this initiative had been supported by the international community.