The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, acknowledged that Europeans have failed to promote democracy in the African Sahel region, which has witnessed a number of coups, despite spending hundreds of millions of euros.

In a speech before the European Parliament, based in the French city of Strasbourg, Borrell stated that the Union has spent 600 million euros over the past ten years on civilian and military missions in the Sahel, training about 30,000 personnel from security forces in Mali and Niger, along with 18,000 military personnel.

He considered that this "has not helped strengthen the armed forces that support the democratic government" but rather the armed forces "that have overthrown elected authorities."

In this context, he acknowledged that the military mission in Niger does not have a "great future."

However, Borrell attempted to defend the Europeans' activities in the Sahel (Mauritania, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, and Senegal), condemning what he described as "misleading information" propagated by Russia in this part of the continent.

In a clear reference to France, Borrell stated: "Let us not start blaming one of the EU countries, which is what is on everyone's mind."

He emphasized that the Sahel is a "strategic" area for Europe's security and migration control, stressing the need to "not abandon" it, and to support the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), especially in Niger.

Regarding this country, where the military took power on July 26 after a coup against the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, Borrell recommended imposing "personal sanctions" on those responsible for the coup.

He noted that the European Union will not be able to operate effectively until security is restored in this region of the world.

Since 2020, four countries in the Sahel—Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Niger—have experienced military coups.