After two weeks of negotiations between France and the United States at the UN Security Council, a resolution was finally adopted unanimously by the members for the future army of the Sahel Five. There remains the thorny issue of financing that will be at the heart of the summit of the G5-Sahel heads of State, scheduled for July 2 in Bamako. And to which will take part the French President, Emmanuel Macron.
“It is up to the G5 Sahel States to give the FC-G5S the resources it needs”, the Security Council said. If the resolution is a first step, it is not a mini-disappointment for the G5-Sahel countries.
“What was sought was not fully obtained. The interest of a Security Council mandate was for the question of funding”, explains Ibrahim Maïga, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) based in Dakar. The budget for the force is estimated at between $ 500 million and $ 600 million. For the time being, only the European Union has decided to support it to the tune of 50 million euros, about 10%.
In the Security Council, the United States has decided to reduce its financial support to United Nations peacekeeping operations. The Trump administration did not endorse the financing of this force through the United Nations and, with Great Britain, voted only after fifteen days of tightness with France and other country members of the Security Council.
It remains however possible that the Security Council re-examine the case, especially since it would like to have a clear idea of the challenges that the force will face. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Gutierez, has the task of reporting in two months on the deployment of the force, the state of force and the measures to be taken.
A turning point
Because of the uncertainty about funding, the Security Council urged the joint force to organize a donor conference. This issue will undoubtedly be debated during the summit of the Heads of State of the G5 Sahel on July 2 in Bamako. The French president, Emmanuel Macron is expected. The vote of the resolution is considered a timid victory for France.
For many observers, this upcoming summit will be a turning point. “We will see if Emmanuel Macron will reiterate his commitment to Gao, how will he react to the lack of financial support from countries like the US. So nothing has yet been settled”, believes Ibrahim Maïga. Pending issues.