Saudi Arabia has pledged $100 million to Mali, a new regional military force battling jihadist groups in West Africa’s Sahel region. The contribution would be a major boost to the cash-strapped force and bring pledged commitments to more than half the roughly $500 million the G5 Sahel says it needs for its first year of operations. French President Emmanuel Macron was very instrumental in delivering the deal as he pressured Riyadh into signing the deal as we wanted to deliver good news to the Sahel on his visit to the region.
The G5 Sahel is composed by militaries from Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad and was launched to tackle the unrest caused by the elements of ISIS and Al Qaeda crossing through the porous borders. The attacks by the jihadists have not only affected the civilian and military positions, but they have also continuously attacked tourist attraction sites targeting people from other nationalities mainly from Europe.
The additional funding from al Shabaab will ensure that the fight against jihadist elements in the region is tacked and routed and as such restore peace in the region that has been ridden by fear and constant attacks.
