EU member plans to shift military force from Iraq to Niger

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Prime Minister of Italy, Paolo Gentiloni, on Sunday said he would ask the Italian Parliament to transfer some of the country’s troops from Italy to Niger to combat terrorism and human trafficking in the area.

Gentiloni mentioned that Italy’s 1,400-strong military presence in Iraq could now be decreased following the victory over the Islamic State (IS) and instead be sent to the Sahel region of West Africa.

“We have to continue to work, concentrating our attention and energies on the threat of human trafficking and terrorism in the Sahel,” Gentiloni said aboard the Italian ship Etna used in the European Union’s “Sophia” operation to counter people smuggling in the Mediterranean.

“For this reason, part of our forces in Iraq will be deployed to Niger in the coming months—this is the proposal the government will make to Parliament,” the Italian Prime Minister said.

He did not mention how many soldiers would be sent to Niger, but according to Newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano, the contingent would be “at least 470” as part of a commitment made to French President Emmanuel Macron.

Macron has expressed his support to a French-backed West African force known as the G5 Sahel, which includes the military force of Mauritania, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad, formed in October to combat Islamist insurgents in the region.

The French President held a summit in Paris on Dec. 13 attended by the leaders of the five participating states Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Italian Parliament is expected to be formally dissolved by the end of 2017 ahead of elections in March but would convene for “ordinary administration” after the vote and might approve the Italian Prime Minister’s request to transfer troops from Iraq to Niger.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany