France’s Macron says new African force to ‘win victories’ against terrorists

President Emmanuel Macron has said that France’s 4,000-strong counterterrorism ‘Barkhane force’ in Africa’s Sahel region will work with a new African force to “win victories” against jihadist extremists “in the first half of 2018.” During a summit of African and European leaders west of Paris, Macron said “we must win the war against terrorism” in the Sahel region, following the military victories in Iraq and Syria. Leaders of the five countries participating in the G5 Sahel force - Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Chad - attended Wednesday’s summit. The African military force will reach 5,000 soldiers next year as planned, according to Macron.