Africa, US to combat terrorism
2005-07-13 12:48
Nouakchott - The army chiefs of Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Algeria met on Monday with a delegation from the United States (US) military command in Europe to discuss security and the fight against terrorism in sub-Saharan Africa, sources familiar with the event said on Tuesday.
The meeting, which did not include Chad, took place in the Mauritanian capital under tight security, the sources said.
The state media said on Tuesday a meeting had taken place but provided no details.
The meeting was called to exchange information on armed groups in the region, in particular the Algerian Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which last month attacked a military base in northeast Mauritania, killing 15 people and injuring 20 others.
The discussion of an anti-terrorist plan and training for the countries in the region to confront the incursions of armed Islamist extremists was also expected to be on the meeting's agenda.
A joint military exercise dubbed "Flint Lock 2005" took place last month under the supervision of the American command in Europe with the armies of Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Algeria and Chad.
- AFP