A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) delegation is on a visit to Mali, to assess the nature of the threat posed by terrorism and transnational organized crime in the Sahel region.
The visiting mission, co-led by Ethiopia, France and Italy, aims to deliver a message to the parties in Mali on the need to accelerate the implementation of the 2015 Peace and Reconciliation Agreement.
The team will also be evaluating the status of the operationalization of the joint force of the G5 Sahel, or FC-G5S established in February 2016.
The 5000-strong force is meant to combat terrorism and transactional organized crime while also helping to restore government’s authority and facilitate humanitarian relief.
The visit comes as U.S. lawmakers are demanding that the Donald Trump administration provide answers over the deaths of four special forces in African the country early this month.
The four Green Berets were ambushed shortly after a meeting with local elders near the Mali border.
Also, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet earlier this week approved an extension for the country’s military deployments in Afghanistan, Mali and several other nations — but only for three months as she seeks to form a new government.
For several years American and French forces have provided training and support to the militaries of Mali, Niger and other vulnerable countries in this corner of Africa where Islamic extremism has become increasingly entrenched over the past decade.
