Panafrican News Agency

UK, Côte d'Ivoire to strengthen cooperation in fight against terrorism

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - The British Minister of the Armed Forces, James Heappey, announced on Wednesday that his country would strengthen military cooperation with Côte d'Ivoire, especially in the areas of counter-terrorism and maritime piracy.

He was speaking after a meeting in Abidjan with the Chief of Staff of the Ivorian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Lassina Doumbia.

According to a statement from the General Staff of the Ivorian Armed Forces, the British minister welcomed the significant progress made by the Ivorian Armed Forces (FACI) in recent years.

He said that in the framework of military cooperation, the United Kingdom was working to expand its partnerships in a multilateral and bilateral space.

He said it was essential to expand areas of collaboration to counter transnational threats and ensure a security environment conducive to governance and development, with the aim of boosting relations based on the current realities of both countries.

According to the statement, General Doumbia outlined the challenges of the Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire, "an army being rebuilt that cannot afford the luxury of time to mature, exposed to immediate security challenges that remain linked to the fight against terrorism and maritime security".

He explained the "urgent need" to adapt the format of the Armed Forces in order to provide a solid, coherent and integrated response to the current multiform threats.

The British minister said that the institutional framework of cooperation as desired by the Ivorian Armed Forces perfectly reflects the aspirations of the United Kingdom, the statement said.

Mr. James Heappey committed his department to support the Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire in the areas of intelligence, training in specific know-how in the fight against terrorism and maritime piracy, as part of a future partnership between the two armies.

The visit by the British Minister is part of his tour of West African countries to learn about the security challenges they face and consider ways of helping them to deal with them.

-0- PANA TNDD/JSG/BBA 23June2022