Paris — Saudi Arabia’s donation to a new anti-terror force in West Africa’s Sahel region proves that the Kingdom is serious about fighting extremism, analysts say.

The new G5 Sahel force pools troops from Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Niger in an area of desert the size of Europe where extremist groups have been thriving.

Money had been a major obstacle to getting it off the ground, meaning Riyadh’s pledge of 100 million euros ($118 million) is a relief for former colonial power France, which has spearheaded the project.

“Fighting terrorism and extremism with zero tolerance is our priority,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir told Le Monde newspaper on Thursday.

The United Arab Emirates, also keen to demonstrate its commitment to fighting extremism, has offered an additional 30 million euros to the fledgling force.

The cash brings total funding over the initial 250 million euros needed to get the force up and running following last month’s maiden mission in the volatile border zone between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

The Saudi contribution is “very important”, according to a source close to the talks where the donations were announced Wednesday following a summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. — AFP