The chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat arrived in Niamey, Niger, on June 3 2017 as he embarked on five-nation tour in the Sahel Saharan region until 10 June 2017 to reaffirm the African Union’s commitment and solidarity with the region in its fight against terrorism and criminal networks in order to create a safe and secure environment and contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the Sahel region, as well as its long  term development.

The AU Commission Chairperson, who is accompanied by the Commissioner for Peace and Security Ambassador Smail Chergui and the Commissioner for Political Affairs Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma, will continue to Chad, Mauritania, Mali and Burkina Faso – also known as the G5 Sahel states – in support of the region’s cooperation agreement to address security issues along common borders due to the interlinked effects of terrorism and transnational organized criminal networks and inter communal conflict in the region.

The daunting security and political challenges in Libya and the resurgence of terrorist attacks, especially along the northern Mali border has created one of the most worrying threats to regional peace and security and Chairperson Faki is in the region to thank the regional leaders for taking the initiative to create an African framework of operational military support.