Q & AAfrica

Saudi Arabia Backs New West African Force, but Success Is Far From Certain

Saudi Arabia Backs New West African Force, but Success Is Far From Certain
Burkina Faso troops provide security following an attack in January 2016 by Islamist extremists, one of several high-profile strikes in West Africa in recent years, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Jan. 18, 2016 (AP photo by Theo Renaut).

Editor’s Note: Every Friday, WPR Associate Editor Robbie Corey-Boulet curates the top news and analysis from and about the African continent.

Since taking office in May, French President Emmanuel Macron has been an enthusiastic champion of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, which brings together soldiers from Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Mali to combat militant groups and drug and human trafficking.

His efforts have involved publicly pressuring the United States to do more to support the force; his defense minister, Florence Parly, made the case directly during a visit to Washington in October. But while American officials have pledged up to $60 million, they have resisted granting the force direct funding from the United Nations.

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