Chad to deploy troops to tackle jihadists on borders

Chad’s President Idriss Déby says he is deploying soldiers to the border with Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso as G5 Sahel countries meet to discuss security in the region.

Chad has in the past said it would deploy in the “three border zone” but did not.

The Sahel region heads of state are meeting in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, and French President, Emmanuel Macron will join the meeting via video link.

International support
President Déby has called for more international support to the Sahel countries in their fight against extremists.

He said poverty in the region had made it easier for young people to be recruited by extremists and said development funds would help alleviate it.

France has 5,100 troops in the Sahel region which has been a front line in the war against Islamist militancy for almost a decade.

Militants from the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), which is linked to al-Qaeda, have been carrying out attacks.

BBC/Christopher Ojilere