ADDIS ABABA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) on Wednesday expressed its deep concern over the worsening security and humanitarian situations in the Sahel region.
The urgent call was made by the AU's Peace and Security Council in a statement issued on Wednesday that followed its latest meeting that dwelt upon the situation in the Sahel region.
The council associated the worsening security and humanitarian situations in the region due to increasing attacks by terrorists, criminals and armed groups operating in the area.
It further expressed concern over the socio-economic challenges that are being compounded by the adverse effects of climate change and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It condemned violent extremism, drugs, small arms trafficking, transnational organized crimes for negative cumulative effects on governance, institutional capacity building and state-building efforts across the Sahel region.
Meanwhile, the pan African bloc commended the G5 Sahel Joint Force for its continued commitment to restoring durable peace and security in the region in spite of the capacity challenges facing the Joint Force.
It, however, underscored the urgent need to redouble efforts in mobilizing predictable and sustainable funding as well as the required material resources to enable the G5 Sahel Force to more effectively discharge its mandate.
