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21:07 GMT
PARIS, Dec 13 (KUNA) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have pledged USD 153 million to a five-nation anti-terror force in the Sahel region of West Africa.
Macron made the statement during a meeting held to enhance the international support for the G5 Sahel force, an initiative pooling troops from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
He said Saudi Arabia and the UAE pledged USD 118 million and USD 35 million respectively, noting that all pledges have exceeded half of the needed money totaling USD 500 million.
The leaders of the five nations, which are among the world's poorest, joined Macron and other leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the talks at a chateau in La Celle-Saint-Cloud outside Paris.
"We must win the war against terrorism in the Sahel-Sahara region," Macron told a press conference after the meeting.
The aim of war is to achieve victories in the beginning of 2018, he pointed out.
"There are attacks everyday, there are states which are currently in jeopardy... We must intensify our efforts," he said.
The Sahel group's countries will boost their efforts in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger through intensify efforts by increasing the participating members and enhancing quick command and planning centers, he stressed.
Merkel announced that the Sahel countries are ready for the battle.
France is launching war against terrorist groups in West Africa, with a 4,000-member army task force. (end)
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