85 thousand soldier to secure the Sahara-Sahel zone

Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger are due to set up a joint military force of up to 85 thousand soldier to counter the increasingly threats of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and secure their shared Sahara-Sahel desert zone.

The terror group is likely to exploit the deteriorated security situation in Libya to carry out attacks.

Speaking at a regional security meeting in Bamako, Mali Foreign Minister, Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, said the force would be operational within 18 months and would be tasked with patrolling the zone and fighting against organised transnational crime.

The four nations are struggling to control the zone, where AQIM has stepped up attacks, operating alongside smugglers, rebels and local criminals.