OREANDA-NEWS. The EU announced today that it is to make EUR 50 million available for support measures in the G5 Sahel countries to help step up security there and boost crossborder cooperation.

The support will also help the G5 Sahel Joint Force get off the ground properly. The Joint Force will comprise troops from Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad, and will operate in all five countries. The initiative is designed to step up action on security, particularly in border areas.

The announcement was made by the High Representative/Vice-President, Federica Mogherini, who is taking part in the third EU-G5 Sahel ministerial meeting on her first official visit to Mali. 

‘The stability and the development of the Sahel region are crucial, not only for Africa but also for Europe,' she said. ‘We are neighbours, and whatever happens on one of our continents has a knock-on effect on the other. We need to unite our forces to tackle terrorism and all forms of trafficking, including human trafficking, and to improve the management of our borders. Cooperation between the G5 Sahel countries is key to shoring up security in the Sahel. The funding for the Joint Force pledged today shows that they can count on our support' added Ms Mogherini. ‘Guaranteeing the security of the region is also a prerequisite for development, hence our additional, parallel efforts to support job creation, training and the health of the local people. We will continue to invest in development in Africa because it is an investment in our joint future.'

Ms Mogherini subsequently took part in a meeting with around 100 young people from the Sahel, the Maghreb, groups from the diaspora in Europe, and young Europeans. The discussion focused on the opportunities that the EU and Africa can offer young people and on how to put young people at the forefront of development in Africa. 

The meeting also ties in with the next Africa-EU Summit, to be held in C?te d'Ivoire on 29-30 November, which will focus on young people.