Mauritania Participates in Alliance for Sahel Meeting
Mauritania, represented by the Minister of National Defense, Mr. Hanena Ould Sidi, participated, Wednesday via videoconference, in the meeting of the Alliance for the Sahel and the G-5 Sahel defense ministers.
The meeting in which seven States took part, alongside the G-5 Sahel countries and several international and regional organizations, focused on the security situation, military operations in the G-5 Sahel space, and operational partnership between the national armies and the joint force.
The speakers insisted, on this occasion, on the importance of the complementarity of roles and the unification of efforts to ensure security and stability and allow development for the peoples of the G-5 Sahel.
In his speech on the occasion, the Minister of National Defense thanked the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Mrs. Florence Parly, for this initiative, which “allows us to discuss important topics which concern us all”.
He then reviewed the significant advances that marked the Mauritanian presidency of the G-5 Sahel, which resulted in convincing operational successes.
Mr. Hanena Ould Sidi also welcomed the effective deployment of the new Chadian battalion in the central zone as well as of the Task force TAKUBA, which is now fully operational.
“This very commendable progress still falls short of expectations, given the scale of the challenges to be met. At the personnel level, the actual strength of the Force has exceeded 90% but efforts must be continued so that all battalions are up to the required standards.
Conditions should also be created to promote the deployment of an additional African Union force of 3,000 men”, as he put it.
At the material level, the Minister indicated that the pace of deliveries accelerated in 2020 without filling all the deficits, and that the absence of clean air vectors and intelligence acquisition sensors reduce the capabilities of action of the Joint Force.
“It is appropriate here to express our gratitude to the Barkhane Force for its crucial operational support,” he added.
Referring to logistical support, the Minister noted that all battalions now benefit from additional support provided by MINUSMA, with exclusive funding from the European Union; support which is the subject of regular tripartite exchanges with a view to accelerating the process of its establishment.
In terms of Human Rights and the fight against impunity, Mr. Ould Sidi underlined that support for the compliance framework, under the leadership of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is reflected in the adoption of legal documents and accountability mechanisms such as the Mechanism for Identification, Monitoring and Analysis of Damage Caused to Civilians.
He added that training of trainers in the fields of armed conflict law and human rights is currently taking place in Nouakchott and noted that provost detachments are now largely operational. “However, the deployment of Specialized Investigation Units of the police component are experiencing disparities depending on the country”, as he put it.
Regarding the Joint Force, Ould Sidi clarified that it must imperatively benefit from sustainable and predictable funding and a mandate under Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter to complete its empowerment.
“While once again welcoming the mobilization of partners in favor of the Joint Force, which experienced a significant leap in 2020, we call for the continuation of this positive dynamic to capitalize on its achievements and meet increasingly high expectations. In this regard, the Coalition for the Sahel constitutes for us the appropriate framework to plead in favor of our strategic objectives with the highest politico-diplomatic bodies”, as he concluded.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary General of the officers of the Ministry of National Defense.