Journal of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies Núm. 12 / 2018 Revista del Instituto Español de Estudios Estratégicos n.º 12 - Año: 2018 - Págs.: 325 a 366 344 since 2016. The actions of the AU in the Sahel can be seen as part of the Nouakchott process and within the framework of the principles and objectives of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA)36. This process includes a series of milestones such as: drafting and distributing information about terrorism in the Sahel; work seminars to improve border control; dispatching evaluation missions to monitor and strengthen the countries’ capacities; and monitoring the implementation of security agreements between the countries. November 2013 saw the appointment of the first permanent representative of the AU as head of the Mission for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL). As a result of this process, support has been given to the transition in Mali, the es-tablishment of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and the G5 Sahel Group. Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) The ECOWAS strategy for the Sahel, in addition to proposing security as a trans-versal element, envisages three core areas: improving the infrastructures linking the region with the rest of the continent; improving food safety and protecting natural re-sources; and encouraging education, religious tolerance and a culture of peace as well as promoting vocational training. With the aim of optimising the actions between the different agents and countries involved and seeking to materialise the objectives and tools of the Strategy, a “concertation mechanism” has been created. The crisis in Mali in 2012 put the efficacy of this organisation to the test and saw im-portant mediation initiatives which led to the creation of the aforementioned AFISMA. However, this mission did not have the knowledge or the means to respond adequately to the great challenge of confronting the rebels, and finally, the situation of serious dan-ger was solved thanks to the direct intervention of France through operation Serval. The G5 Sahel Group The result of the Nouakchott summit in February 2014 was the creation of the G5 Sa-hel Group37, comprising Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad, countries that according to their own descriptions share similar geographical and socio-economic charac-teristics. During the extraordinary summit in Nouakchott in December of the same year, the G5 became an international organisation with its own regulatory framework. The main objective is to coordinate its development and security policies and stra-tegies. It is no coincidence that the motto of its emblem reads “Security and Develop-ment”. An essential factor is sharing of information and coordinating their actions in the fight against terrorism and organised crime as well as contributing to the critical development of their populations. But its objectives go beyond, for instance building 36 “Informe del SG sobre formas de reforzar la asociación entre la ONU y la UA en cuestiones de paz y seguridad en África, incluida la labor de la Oficina de la ONU ante la UA”. On http:// www.refworld.org.ru/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain/opendocpdf.pdf?reldoc=y&docid=57df907b4. Date of reference 25/03/18. 37 “Grupo G5 Sahel”. On http://www.g5sahel.org/. Date of reference 25/03/18.
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