The European Commission announced on Thursday new funding totaling 125 million euro ($141 million) for the development of the Sahel countries, which are located from the Atlantic Ocean coast of Mauritania in the west to the Red Sea coast of Sudan in the east.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th December, 2018) The European Commission announced on Thursday new funding totaling 125 million euro ($141 million) for the development of the Sahel countries, which are located from the Atlantic Ocean coast of Mauritania in the west to the Red Sea coast of Sudan in the east."The fresh injection of EUR 125 million will be used for the swift launch of new initiatives, which are in line with the priorities set by the G5 Sahel to enhance development and security. The measures will focus on boosting the resilience and social cohesion of the most vulnerable groups in the cross-border regions," the statement said.
The announcement was made at the coordination conference of the G5 Sahel partners and donors, which took place earlier on Thursday in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The G5 Sahel group comprises Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad.
"Ten months after the Brussels Conference on the Sahel, which mobilised the international community around the G5 Joint Force, we are now focusing on the incontrovertible need to complement our security initiatives with development projects. The additional EUR 125 million announced by the European Union today will focus on development projects in the most vulnerable areas, with an immediate impact on the living conditions of local communities," European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica said.
This funding will, in particular, contribute to improvement of living conditions for people in cross-border areas and strengthening of local institutions in the area of justice, security and protection of human rights.
