Egypt to lead efforts to establish joint military force in North Africa

Egyptian ambassador to Ethiopia Abu-Bakr Hanafi announced on Friday that his country is to lead efforts to establish a military force in North Africa, Anadolu reported the official Egyptian news agency saying.

“Leadership of this force is part of the efforts to maintain peace and security in Africa,” Hanafi said before the start of the 26th African Union Summit, which is being held in Addis Ababa.

More details about the force are yet to be known.

Meanwhile, Egypt announced on Thursday that it was chosen by the African Union to be a member of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) on behalf of the North African region. It said that 47 out of 48 member countries voted in favour of Egypt becoming a member, which lasts for three years.

The African Union’s 26th annual summit is due to start 30 January.