France Backs Down on West Africa Force Funding Amid U.S. Spat
- UN resolution patches up a rift between historic allies
- U.S. determined to lower UN peacekeeping contributions
A French soldier stands inside a military helicopter during a visit by French President to France's Barkhane counter-terrorism operation in Africa's Sahel region in Gao, northern Mali, on May 19, 2017.
Photographer: Christophe Petit Tesson/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution backing a 5,000-strong West African force to combat terrorism in the Sahel region after France agreed to drop a provision on funding it in response to U.S. opposition.
With the U.S. balking at the possibility the mission would be added to the UN’s peacekeeping budget, the French-drafted resolution omitted a request for the secretary-general to come up with options to finance the force as well as any reference to Chapter 7, the UN requirement to “use all necessary means.”