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The French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, called on Sunday his partners to engage with Paris in the fight against jihadist violence in the Sahel.
"We need everyone's commitment to move towards a sustainable stabilization. Nobody can boast of being able to do without the support of others, "said Philippe, quoting a Malian proverb at the headquarters of his troupe in Gao.
Shekau's message comes during an acceleration of Boko Haram attacks and only days after the jihadists killed 25 people outside Maiduguri, the birthplace of the Islamist insurgency. / AFP PHOTO
He was speaking a few days after African Union peace and security chief Smail Chergui had urged member states to address the root causes of extremism in the Sahel region.
France supports a joint mission of 5,000 men among the five G5 Sahel nations on the front line: Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad.
But Chergui expressed his disappointment at the difficulties encountered in financing and equipping the force, while the future of the current UN mission, MINUSMA, is uncertain.
The Islamist revolt in the Sahel took flight after the chaos that swept over Libya in 2011. Jihadist attacks erupted in northern Mali, while Boko Haram appeared in northern Nigeria.
Large areas of the Mall are still out of control and jihadists have gained ground in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, while Chad is fighting against the unrest at its borders.
"It is the action of all, with Barkhane, alongside the Malian forces, which will roll back jihadism," said Philippe, who arrived in Mali Friday night for a two-day visit.
On Sunday, he spoke to French, Malian, British and Estonian forces, saying he wanted to salute the "remarkable and decisive" results of the troops so far, including the recently announced death of the jihadist leader Amadou Koufa. and, last Thursday, Algerian Djamel Okacha, aka Yahya Abu El Hamame.
Hundreds of schools closed in Burkina Faso as a result of jihadist attacks
"Every day, our enemies suffer significant losses, reducing their ability to cause trouble," said Philippe, while conceding that the threat had not disappeared.
On Saturday, he said that 2,700 French forces in the region since 2014 "will stay as long as necessary".
During his stay in Gao, Philippe, accompanied by the Minister of Defense, Florence Parly, visited a monument to the 24 French soldiers who died in Mali.
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