Macron announces military academy in Ivory Coast

By Fulbert Yao

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced the establishment next summer of a regional military academy in Ivory Coast dedicated to anti-terror efforts.

"I hope we can have a special partnership with Ivory Coast, and support this country establishing a regional school dedicated to the fight against terrorism," Macron said at the launch of construction of a metro line in the capital Abidjan.

"The goal is to open a school next July that will train Special Forces, not only for Ivory Coast but for the whole region," he added.

"We need this partnership, and this regional partnership will be built up here," Macron said without giving details of the project.

Like other countries in West Africa plagued by terrorism, Ivory Coast has suffered from terrorist attacks, such as one in March 2016 in the seaside resort of Grand Bassam that killed at least 19 people.

France has had troops in West Africa since 2013, which helps in the fight against militant groups in the Sahel region, especially in Mali.

The French force, Operation Barkahne, has 3,500 troops deployed in five West African countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad.

Macron is currently in Ivory Coast, where he is taking part in the African Union-EU summit. He was in Burkina Faso on Tuesday and will travel to Ghana later on Thursday.