By RFPosted on 12-11-2019Modified on 12-11-2019 at 23:53

The second Paris Peace Forum is being held until Thursday, 14 November in the French capital. Thirty heads of state and government were present at the opening, to discuss the defense of multilateralism, and major international challenges. Regarding Africa, the security situation was mentioned, especially that of the Sahel.

The leaders of Mali, Niger and Chad defended their action in the fight against terrorism in a public discussion. Beyond the military actions needed to counter the armed groups, the three heads of state emphasized the importance of development because, in their view, poverty is the fuel of terrorism.

Chadian President Idriss Deby claims, however, that he does not know of strong commitments from their various partners, who can go directly to the populations of vulnerable areas. On the other hand, there is one in G5 Sahel, says his counterpart in Niger. But the means are lacking, according to Mahamadou Issoufou.

" We often hear critics say : " The G5 Sahel has no strategy, the G5 Sahel heads of state have no strategy. " We have a strategy but we lack the means to implement it, "says Niger's president.

" We feel like shemales "

The Sahel countries' budgets are notably burdened by defense and security spending, the president continued. Despite the deployment of international forces on the ground, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta says the world is deaf to their calls for solidarity.

" We feel like shemale. We listen politely, with a small smile heard, but on arrival there is not much, deplores the Malian president. While in front of us, we have determined people who have resources in an asymmetrical war to which our forces are unprepared .

For the Malian president, however, it is the survival of the Sahel. " We're doing our part, help us keep going ," he says. On the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum, Emmanuel Macron received at the Elysee Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Mahamadou Issoufou and Idriss Déby for a working lunch at the end of which the French President reaffirmed France's support in the fight against poverty. against terrorism in the Sahel.

We have advanced on the security situation in each of these countries. They have a lot of courage and we're really supportive and I think we've started to draw some decisions that we're going to take in the coming weeks to refocus the joint force on the central spindle.

Emmanuel Macron reaffirms his support for the Sahel countries

12-11-2019 - By Pierre Firtion

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