The little publicized deal was already outlined at a meeting of the four Saharan nation’s military commanders in Tamanrasset in August 2009. Tamanrasset is the Sahara desert’s major town of 90,000 inhabitants in southern Algeria, located on the major trans-Saharan trade route but an unsafe destination in the 1990s and early 2000s due to terrorism and banditry.
Today it was announced in Algiers that a new military summit had taken place in Tamanrasset, including representatives from Libya, Burkina Faso and Chad. The original four-nation security deal was widened to partly include troops from these three newcomers.
According to Algerian government sources, the joint anti-terrorism force will be set up already next week and headquartered in Tamanrasset. Formally named the "Joint operational military committee," the joint command will include officers from all the seven Saharan-Sahelian countries.
It is confirmed that the aim of the joint command will be to fight terrorism in the vast region. It is in particular a group claiming to be attached to al Qaeda that is causing concern in the Sahara desert, standing behind several hostage-taking operations and attacks on isolated military posts.
The sparse but existing terrorism activity in the region is seriously halting the economic development in this remote region. Trade, transport and tourism are still below their peak in the 1980s due to insecurity.
Source: Afrol News