The presidents of Chad (R) and Niger have said they want to revive the G5 Sahel force to fight the jihadist insurgency. By Djimet WICHE (AFP)
The presidents of Chad and Niger pledged on Wednesday to revive the G5 Sahel military grouping to boost the fight against jihadist insurgents after West African forces left Mali.
But Niger's Mohamed Bazoum, who held talks in N'Djamena with junta leader Mahamat Idriss Deby Itne, dodged a question about the French troop move.
After nine years of fighting jihadists in Mali, France is withdrawing its troops and scaling back its presence in the wider Sahel following a row with the junta in Bamako.
"The decision to withdraw from Mali is an episode that will be behind us," Bazoum told a news conference.
"There will be a meeting soon" of the remaining four G5 allies - Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger - "to make sure the G5 is viable," he added.
The Malian junta announced in May that it was leaving the G5 alliance, which was founded in 2014 and worked alongside France's Barkhane forces against multiple jihadist factions that are nevertheless advancing south.
More than 2,000 civilians have been killed in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso since the beginning of the year.
"We don't think it's over for the G5 Sahel, we're going to fight," Bazoum insisted.
General Deby, who took over when his father died on the front more than a year ago after ruling for three decades, said he "regretted" Mali's departure from the G5.
"Let's stay optimistic and hope the decision comes back," he said.
France announced the withdrawal of Barkhane in February after deploying up to 5,000 troops in Mali. Only 2,500 French troops will remain in the Sahel.
Paris is set to maintain more than 1,000 troops in Niger, supported by three fighter jets, six armed drones and up to six helicopters, as its role changes to support, not replace, local forces.
Bazoum said Niamey was still in talks with partners about the French relocation.
The two presidents said they had signed a security agreement on Wednesday, but gave no further details.
They also failed to mention how the deployment of their own army would be adjusted to account for the reduction in French troops.
The limited French operation taking over from Barkhane will remain based in N'Djamena for the time being.
The Chadian army is considered the most powerful in the region and, as the mainstay in the fight against jihadists, regularly heads to neighboring states.
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