West African leaders meet on extremism in the region
The heads of state from 15 countries in the West African economic bloc known as ECOWAS met Saturday to discuss the fight against Islamic extremism and the impact of the G5 Sahel Joint Force set up to combat its spread. Established in 2017, the force —with troops from Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Mauritania and Mali — has been plagued with funding problems.
Niger Interior Minister Mohamed Bazoum said the forces’ resources need to be better managed, and other nations should be tapped who may have equipment like airplanes or helicopters that the Sahel force needs. He added there was also a greater need for intelligence and information sharing.
Despite increased international engagement in the Sahel, violence by Islamic extremists is growing in the region. The Center for Strategic and International Studies says the “number of reported violent events linked to militant Islamic group activity in the Sahel has doubled every year since 2016, reaching 465 incidents in 2018.”
Extremists have gained a larger foothold in Burkina Faso’s north in the past few years, staging more attacks near its borders with Mali and Niger. Hundreds have been killed in the attacks and thousands have fled. Leaders in these regions are calling for more international and regional support.
https://www.krqe.com/news/world/west-african-leaders-meet-to-counter-extremism-in-the-region/
