13/12/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 13 December in Paris, the European Commissioner for Development, Neven Mimica, confirmed the EU's support for security, stabilisation and development in the Sahel region. The Commissioner was speaking during a high-level meeting organised by France in an effort to speed up the operability of the joint, G5 Sahel Force. He declared, “Development and security are intrinsically linked. This is particularly true for the Sahel. In these particularly unstable zones, the deployment of the joint force should therefore be accompanied by a Return of the state and basic social services, to the benefit of the population” (see EUROPE 11921). He pointed out in this regard that the EU was providing €50 million in support to this African military force whose mandate is to fight terrorism, cross-border organised-crime and the trafficking of human beings. (AN)