Saudi Arabia pledges $100 million to G5 Sahel force
By Eric Oteng
with reuters
Last updated: 13/08 - 11:04
Mali
Saudi Arabia has pledged $100 million to 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.
The G5 Sahel – composed of the armies of Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad – launched its first military campaign in October amid growing unrest in the Sahel, whose porous borders are regularly crossed by jihadists, including affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State.
Those groups have stepped up attacks on civilian and military targets, including tourist attractions in regional capitals, raising fears the zone will become a new breeding ground for militants.
Mali’s foreign ministry said Saudi Arabian authorities made the pledge during a visit to the kingdom late last month by Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Sunni Muslim kingdom is competing with its main rival, Shiite power Iran, for influence across West Africa and other parts of the Muslim world. Donors from both countries have given money to mosques and other causes there.
France, the G5’s most vocal foreign backer, has pressed Saudi Arabia to take concrete actions to fight Islamist militants.
French President Emmanuel Macron asked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to contribute to the G5 when he saw him in Riyadh last month.
The European Union, France, the United States and each of the G5 countries have also promised to fund the force.
Saudi Arabia pledges $100 million to G5 Sahel force
- Thread starter Phitz
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Gritsngravy
Superstar
They got money to kill Africans but quiet ass a church mouse when Iran is openly threatening them?
Scustin Bieburr
Baby baybee baybee UUUGH
They know Iran will have to go through the US and Israel first.
Saudi Arabia is unironically one of the most evil places in the world. They were one of the last places to outlaw (formal) slavery, and they literally did 9/11 and have funded terrorist forces all around the world, but because they have a resource that America needs, our government will look the other way.
The continuous glazing of that country and Israel is why other countries like China and Zimbabwe hit the
when American politicians try to talk to them about respecting human rights.Irony here is that Iran is helping the same African nations that Saudi is helping.
Gritsngravy
Superstar
But ain’t they the ones who created said terrorists?
Not the terrorists in Africa, France and Unk Sam are getting blamed for them.
Dwayne_Taylor
Superstar
It's not much money, it's like the cost of one fighter jet
It can feed an army, plus alot of their funding now is coming from uranium and gold sales
RickyDiBiase
The Sword of Jesus of Nazareth
They fight Iran thru proxies if I'm not mistaken. Iran does too.
France and the USA aren’t sending them money and arms breh.
Premeditated
MANDE KANG
Kill Africans?
Stop it goofy.
Premeditated
MANDE KANG
It's actually UAE that are funding all these Arab terrorist. They are also funding the RFK group wrecking havoc in Sudan