African Union plans to send 3,000 troops to Sahel region

“This decision has been taken because as you see and recognize yourself the threat is expanding and becoming more complex. Terrorists are now even brining a new modes operandi from Afghanistan and Shabab,” Chegui said.

Numerous armed groups are active in the Sahel zone, which stretches from the Atlantic coast south of the Sahara to the Red Sea, and some of the groups have pledged to support Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

France has more than 5,000 troops in the region fighting jihadist groups.

Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria in particular have suffered attacks in recent months.

Earlier on Thursday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised the AU support in resolving conflicts on the continent, including Libya.

“You have us at your side because this is of utmost importance for the development of this continent,” said von der Leyen during her visit to the AU in Addis Ababa.

The conflict in Libya was a good example for how well the EU and AU could collaborate on finding resolutions to conflicts, von der Leyen said, adding that Libya was also a good example for how difficult it is to implement these solutions.

Von der Leyen – who travelled to Ethiopia with a 20-member delegation including EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell – made the comments in response to the AU warning that Libya’s ongoing civil conflict, which began in 2001 after the fall of long-term ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi, could destabilize Africa.

The conflict had caused an influx of insurgents and weapons to the Sahel region, according to AU Commission President Moussa Faki Mahamat.

“The region is at great risk,” Mahamat said in reference to the numerous Islamist terrorist and rebel groups active in the region.

Von der Leyen is also expected to discuss security, migration and digitization during her visit to the AU.