The European Union aims to be of assistance in Ivory Coast in the realm of counter-terrorism. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, has just made an announcement to this effect.
On Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Abidjan, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, announced assistance for Ivory Coast to combat "terrorism," which is expected to be officially approved next week.
"Next week, the member states (of the European Union) should officially approve the mobilization of additional funds to facilitate the purchase of equipment to combat terrorism," stated Charles Michel following a meeting with Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.
This equipment includes "drones, vehicles, and equipment for gathering information and intelligence," Michel clarified, who visited the International Academy to Combat Terrorism (AILCT) in Jacqueville, near Abidjan, on Wednesday.
The AILCT has been training soldiers and officers from Africa, particularly from West Africa, for over three years. Several countries in this region have been facing jihadist violence for many years.
Jihadists have not struck in Ivory Coast since 2021, but the northern part of the country borders Mali and Burkina Faso, where groups linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State regularly commit deadly attacks.
Other countries in the Gulf of Guinea, neighboring crisis-stricken Sahel countries, are also concerned about the expansion of these groups' activities into their territories, with Togo and Benin having been hit by jihadist attacks several times.
Charles Michel began his visit to West Africa earlier this week in Senegal, which, after Ivory Coast, will take him to Benin.
