Senegalese Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall has asked China to support Sahel countries in their fight against terrorism.

She appealed on Monday during a meeting with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Dakar.

“As part of our cooperation in the Sahel, we would like the voice of China, given its influence, to be a strong voice of support for Senegal.

“And to all other countries involved in the fight against the problem of insecurity in the Sahel so that our forces will have more legal means to battle terrorists and irredentism with,” Ms Tall Sall said during the meeting broadcast on the internet.

The foreign minister said China was already investing in other areas such as agriculture, health care, culture, infrastructure, sports and several other sectors of Senegal’s economy.

The minister expressed the hope that the bilateral cooperation would benefit both countries.

The Sahel region has been struggling to battle terrorism for years. In 2014, France launched Operation Barkhane to help the regional countries.

In June 2021, however, French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to discontinue it by the first quarter of 2022.

He explained that a broader international effort to help the region fight terrorism would be made instead.

(NAN)