A Chinese envoy said Friday that China supports efforts to secure sustainable and predictable financing for the G5 Sahel Joint Force, which is tasked to fight terrorism in the region.

China attaches great importance to the concerns of regional countries on funding issues, supports the Joint Force in obtaining sustainable and predictable financial support, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

China supports efforts to find a solution acceptable to all parties as soon as possible, which not only suits the regional reality and meets the needs of the Joint Force, but also takes into account the concerns of all stakeholders, he told the Security Council.

"China will continue to provide financial and equipment support to the Joint Force through bilateral channels," he said.

The G5 Sahel groups Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

As the G5 Sahel Joint Force faces considerable difficulties in logistics support, China supports the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) to continuously improve its support in logistics to the Joint Force. In accordance with the military action plan of the Joint Force, MINUSMA should formulate corresponding logistics support programs to secure the needs of the Joint Force as much as possible, said Dai.

China encourages the EU to increase its financial support to the Joint Force, he said.

The security situation in the Sahel region remains turbulent, plagued by ever-spreading terrorist forces, where frequent attacks have targeted countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, he said.

In recent years, the G5 Sahel states have proactively strengthened themselves by joining hands in deepening counter-terrorism cooperation and have launched several rounds of counter-terrorism operations, which have played an important role in eliminating the influence of terrorism and maintaining regional stability and security. China appreciates the efforts of the G5 Sahel states, he said.

Regional counter-terrorism actions cannot be separated from an enabling external political environment, said Dai.

Mali occupies an important position in regional counter-terrorism cooperation. The international community should provide constructive support for Mali's political transition, encourage all Malian parties to resolve their differences through dialogue, promote the preparations for elections in line with Mali's reality and the wishes of the Malian people, and maintain Mali's political stability, he said.

The exit and withdrawal of foreign fighters from Libya should be conducted in an organized and orderly manner. In this process, all parties concerned should strengthen information exchange and coordinate their actions with countries in the Sahel region in order to avoid any negative impact on the regional situation.

As is pointed out in the report of the UN secretary-general, the weakening of state authority and the displacement of the population in the Sahel region created opportunities for terrorist forces to gain strength and gain ground. The international community should fully realize that political and military means alone cannot solve the security challenges facing the Sahel region. It should focus on helping regional countries restore state authority, enhance governance capacity, achieve sustainable development, enhance social inclusion and cohesion, address the root causes of terrorism and extremism so as to promote peace through development, he said.

At the end of this month, China and African countries will jointly hold the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Through this meeting, China stands ready to increase its support to regional countries in such areas as the fight against COVID-19, post-pandemic reconstruction, trade and investment, poverty reduction and development, and climate action, said Dai.

China is ready to work with the international community to contribute to the long-term stability of the Sahel region, he said.

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