Meeting in Brussels on Thursday 20 November, the European foreign affairs ministers agreed on the principles of a “new EU approach” for the Sahel region of Africa, where coups d'état have multiplied since 2020, EU missions have been permanently suspended or greatly reduced, and where the terrorist organisations Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, as well as their affiliated groups, are strengthening their presence (see EUROPE B13715A19).
“The focus is on political and diplomatic engagement,...