Brussels, 27/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 26 July, the European Union described the execution of French hostage Michel Germaneau by the Al-Qaïda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) as “foul”, promising to act to strengthen the security and development of the Sahel-Saharan zone. The statement, endorsed by the European foreign ministers, underlines that the “deterioration in the situation in the Sahel-Saharan strip constitutes a growing security issue for this region at the gateway to Europe”. The statement points out that, in under 18 months, a dozen people have been taken hostage, all of them Europeans. The murder of Michel Germaneau is in addition to that of UK national Edwin Dyer in 2009. Given the deterioration in the situation, “we must go further and mobilise al the resources at our disposal to promote the security and development of the Sahel-Saharan strip, in cooperation with the states of the region, the United Nations and other international partners”, the EU states.
The statement of the EU reads: “However, the growth of terrorism and organised crime in the Sahel-Saharan strip also directly affects the local populations and states of the region. We cannot turn our backs on this reality. This new assassination shows the necessity of mobilising all international and regional actors to step up the fight against terrorism and reinforce security in the Sahel-Saharan strip”. (L.C./transl.jl)