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| U.N. Security Council Welcomes Deployment of New Counterterrorism Force in Africa | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| UNITED NATIONS — A French-American standoff over the vast, dangerous Sahel region of Africa is over: On Wednesday, after weeks of tense negotiations, the Security Council approved a resolution welcoming the deployment of a new multinational military force to fight terrorist groups operating in the area. | |
| France had pushed for the force, from five African countries, to combat terrorism, drug traffickers and people smugglers thriving in the Sahel. The French ambassador to the United Nations, François Delattre, on Wednesday called the resolution of approval a “landmark” that would need the world’s financial support in the coming months. | |
| The United States had objected to giving the force the authority to “use all necessary means,” which is the most robust form of Security Council authorization. The Americans argued that the mandate was too broad and that it was not legally necessary — and in the final text, adopted unanimously, that language was dropped. | The United States had objected to giving the force the authority to “use all necessary means,” which is the most robust form of Security Council authorization. The Americans argued that the mandate was too broad and that it was not legally necessary — and in the final text, adopted unanimously, that language was dropped. |
| The counterterrorism force is to be made up of 5,000 troops from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. | The counterterrorism force is to be made up of 5,000 troops from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. |
| The next French-American diplomatic battle could well be over who will finance the mission. For now, the money for the force will not come from the United Nations peacekeeping budget. The United States pays the largest share of that budget, and the Trump administration’s envoy to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, is pushing to reduce it. | The next French-American diplomatic battle could well be over who will finance the mission. For now, the money for the force will not come from the United Nations peacekeeping budget. The United States pays the largest share of that budget, and the Trump administration’s envoy to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, is pushing to reduce it. |
| United Nations peacekeeping forces are already operating in Mali, which has been racked by a domestic ethnic rebellion and by groups linked to Al Qaeda. | United Nations peacekeeping forces are already operating in Mali, which has been racked by a domestic ethnic rebellion and by groups linked to Al Qaeda. |
| Many countries in West and Central Africa are former French colonies, and France has deep economic and security interests in the region. | Many countries in West and Central Africa are former French colonies, and France has deep economic and security interests in the region. |
| Both France and the United States maintain a military footprint in the Sahel, where groups linked to Al Qaeda proliferate. The latest terrorist attack came Sunday on a resort near Bamako, the capital of Mali, killing five people. | Both France and the United States maintain a military footprint in the Sahel, where groups linked to Al Qaeda proliferate. The latest terrorist attack came Sunday on a resort near Bamako, the capital of Mali, killing five people. |
| “We wish to move quickly,” the ambassador of Mali, Issa Konfourou, told the Security Council on Wednesday, “because the terrorist groups will not wait.” | “We wish to move quickly,” the ambassador of Mali, Issa Konfourou, told the Security Council on Wednesday, “because the terrorist groups will not wait.” |
| Also at the United Nations on Wednesday, Secretary General António Guterres announced the appointment of Vladimir Voronkov, a Russian diplomat now based in Vienna, as the organization’s undersecretary general for counterterrorism, a new position. The appointment makes Mr. Voronkov the highest-ranking Russian in the United Nations system. | Also at the United Nations on Wednesday, Secretary General António Guterres announced the appointment of Vladimir Voronkov, a Russian diplomat now based in Vienna, as the organization’s undersecretary general for counterterrorism, a new position. The appointment makes Mr. Voronkov the highest-ranking Russian in the United Nations system. |