West African states to create anti-jihad force

WEST African states decided recently to create a new 2 000-strong force to combat the growing jihadist threat in the region, diplomatic and military sources said this week.

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The idea of an anti-jihadist force has been discussed for years by the 12 countries of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).

The Sahel, which cuts across Africa separating the continent’s north from its sub-Saharan part, has for years been plagued by jihadist insurgencies led by groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

The groups have been particularly active in three former French colonies — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — that quit the Ecowas group in recent years following military coups.