G5 Sahel Leaders, Macron To Hold Extraordinary Summit In Chad On Friday- Source

RABAT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd April, 2021) The leaders of Africa's G5 Sahel bloc will hold an extraordinary summit on Friday in Chad, with French President Emmanuel Macron participating in the meeting, an informed source told Sputnik.

Macron is currently on a visit to Chad to attend President Idriss Deby's funeral at the end of the week. Deby, 68, succumbed on Tuesday to the injuries he sustained in hostilities with rebels.

"The countries of Africa's Sahel region are going to hold today a summit in Chad in the presence of Macron," the source said.

The leaders are expected to discuss measures to address challenges on the Chadian-Libyan border, the source added.

The meeting will take place against a backdrop of ongoing violence and instability in Chad, exacerbated by the president's death, which prompted a transitional military council to take over.

Additionally, a military source in Libya told Sputnik earlier this week that the Libyan National Army was preparing to send its forces to the border with Chad.

Chad is located in the Sahel, one of the most problematic regions on the continent, plagued by terrorist activities and illegal migration. Since 2014, France has been present in the Sahel through its 5,000-strong Operation Barkhane, which has been leading the fight to curb the jihadist threat in the region. The mission comprises the military forces of France and the armies of the G5 Sahel bloc, which includes Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, and Mauritania.