The Mauritanian president, Mohamed O. Cheikh Ghazouani, the incumbent president of G5 Sahel, called for the cancellation of the group’s member countries’ debts to help them face the multiple and complicated challenges they face.
The president was speaking via videoconference to the high-level commission for the economic challenges arising from the security crisis in the Sahel region.
The president said that according to statistics of the world bank, the conflicts in the region have left 15.000 deaths and caused the exile of more than one million peoples in addition to 165.000 refugees in the Sahelian space.
The Mauritanian president added that this situation propelled an increase in defense and security expenses, thus creating a heavy burden on countries member.
He indicated that the inability to orientate these resources to vital sectors, such as education, health, and employment, has caused the decline of Sahel countries’ national economies, which are already facing a lack of resources.
According to the president, such a catastrophic situation exposes the region’s populations to further fragility, creating a fundamental obstacle to the guarantees of essential services in the sensitive zones.
For the Mauritanian president, the international commitment must manifest urgently in canceling the 5 G5 Sahel countries’ debts, which strain their budget and constitute a significant hindrance to fulfilling their development objectives.
