'Sahel coalition' wants victories against terrorism by mid-2018

A French-backed West African military force to tackle terrorism must secure its first victories by the middle of 2018 to prove its worth and ensure more concrete support from the United Nations, the French and Malian leaders said on Wednesday.

The G5 Sahel - composed of the armies of Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad - launched a symbolic military operation to mark its creation in October amid growing unrest in the region, whose porous borders are regularly crossed by militants, including affiliates of Al Qaeda and Daesh.

However, France which has some 4,000 troops in the region, has bemoaned that the militants have scored military and symbolic victories in West Africa while the G5 force has struggled to win financing and become operational.

To give the force a boost, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the leaders of the five participating countries, Germany and Italy as well as the Saudi and Emirati ministers at a summit.

In a sign Gulf Arab states are upping their influence in the region, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates committed 130 million euros ($152.75 million) on Wednesday, although the initiative has not won support from key regional player Algeria.

"As far as the G5 are concerned, we are aware that the clock is ticking," Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta told a news conference after the summit of some 15 nations to discuss the force's implementation.

"There is an urgency today that we quickly achieve results in the fight against terrorism," he said, warning of a possible terrorist rush from the Middle East to West Africa.

Thousands of UN peacekeepers, French troops and US military trainers and drone operators have failed so far to stem the growing wave of violence, leading world powers to pin their hopes on the new force.

Despite French efforts, US reluctance at the United Nations has meant the force does not have direct financial backing from the UN making it harder to secure almost $500 million in initial funding for the operation and much-need equipment.

Macron sees the full implementation of the G5 force as a long-term exit strategy for his own forces that intervened in 2013 to beat back an insurgency in northern Mali.

"We have a very simple objective which is to have the first victories in the first half of 2018," Macron said. He added that the aim was to ensure 5,000 men were ready by then.