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Russia's Support is Vital in Combating Terrorism in the Sahel, BRICS Alliance NGO Says

© AP Photo / Jerome DelayA Wednesday, March 18, 2015 photo from files showing Chadian soldiers escorting a group of journalists as they ride on trucks and pickups in the Nigerian city of Damasak, Nigeria.
A Wednesday, March 18, 2015 photo from files showing Chadian soldiers escorting a group of journalists as they ride on trucks and pickups in the Nigerian city of Damasak, Nigeria.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 06.09.2024
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The Global Terrorism Index 2024 report indicated that the focal point of global terrorism has moved from the Middle East to the Sahel region in sub-Saharan Africa, which was responsible for almost 59% of all terrorism-related deaths in 2023.
Russian assistance is crucial for countering terrorism in the Sahel region, Ahoua Don Mello, the vice president of the BRICS Alliance NGO, told Sputnik Africa.
He also reminded that the primary challenge for African nations, especially in the Sahel, is terrorism stemming from the rise of jihadist groups after NATO's attacks on Libya. This has led to widespread jihadism in the region, which countries cannot combat on their own.

"Russia is helping not only to train strong armies in Africa, in the Sahel countries, but above all to train them in the fight against terrorism," he said. "This will not only create the conditions for peace but above all the conditions for freedom."

Mello also underscored that addressing poverty is crucial for the ultimate elimination of terrorism in the subregion.
"Alongside Russia's support for security and defense issues, we are working to give economic content to this alliance," he said.
Global terrorist threat level - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 23.08.2024
Infographic
From Middle East to Sahel: Shifting Epicenters of Global Terrorism
Eradicating poverty undoubtedly signifies an enhancement in the nation's economic condition. The vice president suggested that this can be achieved through payments in national currencies that will allow African countries to regain monetary autonomy.
Currently, the continent's currencies are "either under the control of France or the International Monetary Fund," leading to debt in dollars and increasingly high costs for African countries that "stifle their development," according to Mello.
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