Eurasia Press & News
French President Francois Hollande begins on Thursday a three-day visit to Africa to reinforce France’s commitment to the continent and to the fight against rising extremism in several countries, Hollande’s office said.
The French leader will visit Ivory Coast on July 17, Niger on July 18 and Chad on July 19, his programme indicated.
Hollande is scheduled to meet the leaders and senior officials in all three countries and he will also be visiting French military detachments in Niger and Chad, where France has both ground troops and air force resources.
Since January 2013, France has become more active in African affairs and has intervened militarily in Mali to stem an overrun by Islamist groups linked with Al-Qaeda and by Tuareg rebels.
French military sources have said that about 3,000 troops will be deployed in the Sahel region, including in Niger and Chad, to take part in “anti-terrorist” operations against Islamist groups. An additional 1,000 troops are to remain in Mali once the UN and Malian forces take control of security there.
