On Wednesday, 26th of July, according to a press statement from the European Parliament, as published by African Press Organization, the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani met the President of the Republic of Chad, Idriss Deby Itno in a meeting focused on the fragility of Sahel´s region security.
Following the conclusion of the meeting, President Tajani acknowledged and commended the move establishing G5 Sahel Force. He noted that this is one such way the international community can address the instability in the region. According to him, “Chad’s contribution in the fight against terrorism (Boko Haram and al Qaeda in particular) is crucial to the stability of the region, as are the efforts of all Sub-Saharan African countries.
“The European Union and the international community have to support Chad. In this context, I welcome and encourage the recent creation of G5 Sahel Force.”
President Tajani further pinpointed that there is an aligned view of the challenges posed as a result of the existing instability in the Sahel region, noting that the border in chad must be well managed to help secure the inflow from that end.
“We have an aligned view of the challenges posed by the situation in Libya, in particular, when it comes to the terrorist threat and persistent instability of the Sahel region. Chad is key to stability of Libya as security of its borders is to manage migration flows.”
In his suggestion, funds must be augmented to address the situation, noting that the challenge is a common one between Africa and Europe.
“Europe and Africa face the same challenge with regards to managing migration flows. We must go to the root of the problem and invest better and more in Africa, within the framework of robust economic diplomacy to create growth and employment. The recently adopted European Fund for Sustainable Development for Africa (EFSD) by the European Parliament is the step in the right direction.
“However, if we want to be successful, this fund has to be considerably augmented,” concluded European Parliament President.
Reporter: Ridwan A. Olayiwola
