- Title: France's Macron arrives in Nouakchott for Sahel security talks
- Date: 30th June 2020
- Summary: NIAMEY, NIGER (FILE - DECEMBER 15, 2019) (REUTERS) (LEFT TO RIGHT) KEITA, ISSOUFOU, DEBY AND KABORE STANDING IN FRONT OF GRAVE SITE, BOWING TO PAY RESPECTS TO 71 SOLDIERS KILLED IN JIHADIST ATTACK KEITA AND KABORE SIGN READING (French): "REST IN PEACE, DIGNIFIED AND HONOURABLE MEN OF THE COUNTRY - THE NATION WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL" BAMAKO, MALI (FILE - JANUARY 10, 2020) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS GATHERED AT MONUMENT OF INDEPENDENCE LISTENING TO SPEECHES DEMONSTRATING AGAINST PRESENCE OF FRENCH MILITARY FORCES IN MALI / PROTESTERS SHOUTING (French): "DOWN WITH FRANCE." PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS READING (French and Bambara): "FRANCE GET OUT/ IBK NO MORE" PROTESTERS HOLDING POSTERS THAT READ (French): "FRANCE GET OUT" AND "COOPERATION MALI-RUSSIA" SIGN WITH STOP SIGN SYMBOL, READING (French): "STOP THE GENOCIDE OF FRANCE IN MALI" IN THE DESERT, NORTHERN MALI (FILE - MAY 25, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF AERIAL VIEWS OF FRENCH AND MALIAN TROOPS, PART OF BARKHANE OPERATION, IN DESERT FRENCH TROOPS STANDING NEAR MILITARY VEHICLES IN DESERT FRENCH TROOPS IN DESERT AT TRUCK FRENCH SOLDIERS PATROLLING IN DESERT
- Embargoed: 14th July 2020 15:36
- Keywords: Emmanuel Macron France Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani Sahel region talks
- Location: NOUAKCHOTT, MAURITANIA / PAU, FRANCE / GOURMA, BAMAKO AND NORTHERN MALI DESERT, MALI / ARBINDA, BURKINA FASO / NIAMEY, NIGER
- City: NOUAKCHOTT, MAURITANIA / PAU, FRANCE / GOURMA, BAMAKO AND NORTHERN MALI DESERT, MALI / ARBINDA, BURKINA FASO / NIAMEY, NIGER
- Country: Mauritania
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA004CKKBCJR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott on Tuesday (June 30) to meet with Sahel leaders to discuss the security in the region.
Macron was welcomed by Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, and the two are slated to meet with presidents of Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad.
French and West African troops have made gains against Islamist groups in the Sahel but the situation remains fragile with persistent attacks by the militants, French and Burkina Faso officials said ahead of the summit on Tuesday.
Political instability is also a source of concern as leaders of the group of five Sahel states meet French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Nouakchott and are joined by other EU leaders via video.
Tuesday's summit will assess recent gains and plan next steps after the countries agreed to bring their forces under one command structure six months ago during a summit in Pau, France.
The joint forces, led by France's 5,100 troops, have so far targeted Islamic State in the Greater Sahara as a priority, concentrating military efforts on the tri-border region of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali known as Liptako-Gourma, an Islamist stronghold.
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