During a meeting with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Dakar on Monday, Senegalese Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall asked China to assist Sahel countries in their fight against terrorism.
Tall Sall stated during the internet-streamed meeting that “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.”
“Also to all other countries involved in the fight against Sahelian insecurity, so that our forces have more legal means to combat terrorists and irredentism.”
According to Senegal’s foreign minister, China is already investing in agriculture, health care, culture, infrastructure, sports, and a variety of other sectors of the Senegalese economy.
The minister expressed hope that the bilateral cooperation would benefit the peoples of both countries.
For many years, the Sahel region has struggled to combat terrorism. France launched Operation Barkhane in 2014 to assist the region’s countries.
However, in June 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to end it by the first quarter of 2022, explaining that a broader international effort to assist the region in combating terrorism would be made instead.