Sahel and Sahara countries forming bloc against terrorism in Libya, Africa

Ali Rajab

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued presidential fiat No. 145/2020, which approves the amended treaty of founding the Sahel and Sahara Grouping.

The treaty was approved in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, on February 16, 2013.

The Sahel and Sahara Grouping plays an important role in African decision-making. It is one of the largest semi-regional groupings in Africa, after the African Union itself.

The grouping contains 27 member states that cover the area between the Red Sea in eastern Africa to the Atlantic Ocean in its western part.

Egypt hosts the headquarters of the regional Sahel and Sahara Counterterrorism Center. The center was founded at the request of the Sahel and Sahara ministers of defense.

The Egyptian armed forces founded the center’s headquarters at a record time. It is constructed on an area of 16,900 square meters. It is fully equipped to carry out its mission of coordinating the military efforts of the Sahel and Sahara states, especially in the fight against terrorism.

The center will also play a role in enhancing economic and political relations between the same states.

Egypt works to be more open to fellow African states. Apart from the aforementioned grouping, Egypt is also a member of a large number of other pan-African blocs, including the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, widely known as COMESA. This bloc contains 20 member states.

Egypt’s membership in these blocs is viewed as an important milestone in the country’s efforts to protect its national security. This is especially true after the emergence of dangerous terrorist organizations in Libya and the Arab Maghreb, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and Boko Haram.

Cairo hosted a meeting of the chiefs of staff of Sahel and Sahara countries in February last year.