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Egypt Affirms Support for Efforts to Combat Terrorism in Africa’s Sahel Region

West African countries suffer from the spread of terrorist groups (AFP)
West African countries suffer from the spread of terrorist groups (AFP)
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Egypt Affirms Support for Efforts to Combat Terrorism in Africa’s Sahel Region

West African countries suffer from the spread of terrorist groups (AFP)
West African countries suffer from the spread of terrorist groups (AFP)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed on Friday his country’s support for efforts to combat terrorism and extremism in West Africa’s Sahel region.
The Minister held a phone call with Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean Marie Traore. The talks focused on enhancing existing cooperation and exploring new opportunities aligned with both countries' current priorities, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Abdelatty emphasized Egypt's commitment to supporting national capacity building and institutional development in African nations through the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, and the scholarships from Egyptian universities.
He reiterated his country’s support for Burkina Faso’s efforts against terrorism and cross-border crime and highlighted the role of Al-Azhar mission in Burkina Faso in countering extremist ideologies and promoting moderate, accurate representations of Islam.
The Egyptian Minister also expressed Cairo’s dedication to strengthening peace and security in Africa, addressing shared regional and international issues, and responding to the security challenges facing West African countries, particularly in the Sahel and Sahara regions.
Also, in a call with his Nigerian counterpart Bakari Yao Sangare, Abdelatty underscored Egypt's role in assisting Niger in combating terrorism and building national capacities.
Both sides reviewed the latest developments in the Sahel region and West Africa and other regional and international issues.
The ministers also discussed the prospects of strengthening the existing bilateral cooperation frameworks during the coming period, especially in the economic and development fields.
Furthermore, Egypt's FM spoke to his Malian counterpart Abdoulaye Diop, given the “great importance of Mali in the Sahel region of Africa,” as described in the ministry statement.
During the phone call, Abdelatty affirmed Cairo's ongoing efforts to bolster security and stability in West Africa and support national governments in reclaiming sovereignty over their territories and combating terrorism.

 

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Italy’s Foreign Minister Heads to Syria to Encourage Post-Assad Transition

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks to the media a he arrives for a meeting at Rome’s Villa Madama, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 on the situation in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini (Andrew Medichini/AP POOL)
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks to the media a he arrives for a meeting at Rome’s Villa Madama, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 on the situation in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini (Andrew Medichini/AP POOL)
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Italy’s Foreign Minister Heads to Syria to Encourage Post-Assad Transition

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks to the media a he arrives for a meeting at Rome’s Villa Madama, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 on the situation in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini (Andrew Medichini/AP POOL)
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks to the media a he arrives for a meeting at Rome’s Villa Madama, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 on the situation in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini (Andrew Medichini/AP POOL)

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he would travel to Syria on Friday to encourage the country's transition following the ouster of President Bashar Assad by insurgents, and appealed on Europe to review its sanctions on Damascus now that the political situation has changed.
Tajani presided over a meeting in Rome on Thursday of foreign ministry officials from five countries, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the United States.
The aim, he said, is to coordinate the various post-Assad initiatives, with Italy prepared to make proposals on private investments in health care for the Syrian population.
Going into the meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their European counterparts, Tajani said it was critical that all Syrians be recognized with equal rights. It was a reference to concerns about the rights of Christians and other minorities under Syria’s new de facto authorities of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HT.
“The first messages from Damascus have been positive. That’s why I’m going there tomorrow, to encourage this new phase that will help stabilize the international situation,” Tajani said.
Speaking to reporters, he said the European Union should discuss possible changes to its sanctions on Syria. “It’s an issue that should be discussed because Assad isn’t there anymore, it’s a new situation, and I think that the encouraging signals that are arriving should be further encouraged,” he said.
Syria has been under deeply isolating sanctions by the US, the European Union and others for years as a result of Assad’s brutal response to what began as peaceful anti-government protests in 2011 and spiraled into civil war.
HTS led a lightning insurgency that ousted Assad on Dec. 8 and ended his family’s decades-long rule. From 2011 until Assad’s downfall, Syria’s uprising and civil war killed an estimated 500,000 people.
The US has gradually lifted some penalties since Assad departed Syria for protection in Russia. The Biden administration in December decided to drop a $10 million bounty it had offered for the capture of a Syrian opposition leader whose forces led the ouster of Assad last month.
Syria’s new leaders also have been urged to respect the rights of minorities and women. Many Syrian Christians, who made up 10% of the population before Syria’s civil war, either fled the country or supported Assad out of fear of insurgents.