By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-20 05:01:16 | Updated at 2025-01-20 09:10:00
4 hours ago
China is putting its Global Security Initiative to the test in Africa’s conflict-torn Sahel region after gunmen stormed the presidential palace in Chad earlier this month.
The deadly attack came just hours after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had left the country, in what has been seen as a narrow escape for Beijing’s top diplomat.
The attack in the Chadian capital N’Djamena on January 8 left 20 people dead. It was the latest in a worsening security situation, not just in Chad but in many countries across West Africa and the Sahel – a semi-arid region south of the Sahara desert.
China has extensive economic interests in the area long plagued by political instability, military coups and widespread jihadist insurgency.
Analysts say the latest attack could prompt Beijing to step up efforts to help maintain peace and stability in the region.
After Chad, Wang travelled to Nigeria where he reiterated that, as part of its Global Security Initiative, Beijing would provide 1 billion yuan (US$136 million) in military assistance to Africa, and help train 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 police law enforcement officers across the continent.
Emphasising the pledges first made by Chinese President Xi Jinping at last year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit, Wang said: “China will firmly support Africa in strengthening its peace and security capacity building.”
