Chad deploys 1,200 troops to combat militants in the Sahel region

[February 16, 2021]    N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Chad has deployed 1,200 troops to help tackle Islamist militants who have occupied swathes of territory in the West African Sahel region, a statement from a summit of leaders of the region and their allies said on Tuesday.

Children who fled from attacks by Islamist militants in the Sahel region play at a camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Kaya, Burkina Faso, November 23, 2020. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo

Heads of state of Niger, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania, who form the G5 Sahel group, met with European and other international allies to discuss progress on combating the insurgents linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State who are threatening the stability of the region.

The Chadian troops, who are expected to be deployed in the tri-border region of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, will complement more than 5,100 French troops that are involved in counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel, French President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference after the summit.

(Reporting by Madjiasra Nako; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Gareth Jones and Peter Graff)

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