PARIS - France's president is hosting a summit with his counterparts from the Sahel belt of western Africa to discuss the military campaign against jihadist militants on Monday.
Leaders from Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Mauritania - known as the G5 Sahel - are gathering in the southern French town of Pau.
The town is home to the combat helicopter regiment called Operation Barkhane which is the French anti-terrorism force deployed across the Sahel.
Criticism of the mission has intensified with a surge in jihadist attacks.
Last week, 89 soldiers from Niger were killed in the latest attack to see dozens of deaths among regional armed forces. France has also suffered significant casualties, losing 13 soldiers in a helicopter crash in Mali in November.(FA)