The Saudi Minister of African Affairs, Ahmed Al-Qattan, announced on Thursday, 6 December 2018, during the G5 Sahel partners and funders Coordination Conference in Nouakchott, Mauritania, that his country will grant €100 million to support the Group of Five Sahel Countries, G5 Sahel.
According to the Saudi minister, this aid will be used to finance the priority investments of the G5 Sahel.
The conference is attended by several heads of state ,as well as government and funders’ representatives, and aims to mobilize funds for the G5 Sahel priority investment programme.
According to high-level sources, Saudi support for the priority investment programme of the G5 Sahel comes in consideration of Mauritania’s place and to ensure the success of the Nouakchott Summit.
This is Saudi Arabia’s second financial support to the G5 Sahel, after Riyadh provided the same amount to support the group’s joint security force, at the Paris Conference in 2017.
The 10,000-strong force is intended to secure borders and fight terrorism, particularly between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Created in February 2014, the G5 Sahel aims to coordinate and monitor regional cooperation, particularly in the fight against terrorism in the region.
In this regard, it drew up a programme of investment in projects that give priority to security and basic infrastructure (transport, energy, communication and water), demographic renewal, food security and the pastoral economy.
– APA
