The European Union (EU) and France announced over USD 1.5 billion in aid for the countries falling in the African Sahel region on Thursday to combat armed groups.
The countries falling under the region are Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Mauritania.
The EU's international cooperation and development commissioner, Neven Mimica announced that 800 million Euros has been pledged by the bloc at a conference in Mauritania on December 6.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, on the other hand, stated that France will be investing 500 million Euros in the region, according to Al Jazeera.
A meeting by partners and donors of the G5 Sahel Force, a United Nations-backed counterterrorism force, was held here on December 6 to raise funds for the region.