France exhorts African states to fight jihadists with hope and confidence
Bamako — France’s top diplomat Jean-Marc Ayrault struck a defiant tone at a summit on Friday with African foreign ministers as he urged them to show confidence and hope despite the jihadist threat. With the battle against extremists, the struggle to improve governance and the migrant crisis high on the agenda, ministers from at least 30 nations met in Mali’s capital Bamako before heads of state due on Saturday. Mali called on France four years ago to help force jihadists out of key northern cities. To this day, 4,000 French troops remain there and in the Sahel region. "(Choosing) Bamako as the venue is an act of confidence after the intervention," Ayrault told journalists as the summit opened. "Today, we are taking a new step." Ayrault urged African nations to deal with the security threats they face, look at how development was progressing and "talk about hope". Many of the participating nations were once ruled by France, which in recent years has boosted its military involvement i...
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