ADDIS ABABA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Commissioner, Smail Chergui, and the Executive Secretary of the G5 Sahel, Maman Sidiko, on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the operationalization of the G5 Sahel joint force.

The MoU is to establish a framework through which the AU will support the G5 Sahel in mobilizing additional resources for the operationalization of the G5 Sahel joint force, according to an AU statement on Saturday.

The objective is part of the Council's decision on April 13, 2017, whereby it approved the strategic concept for operations (CONOPS) of the joint force, said the statement.

Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger set up the G5 Sahel in 2014 to foster close cooperation in the region and tackle major challenges.

The G5 Sahel countries have reaffirmed the need for enhanced cooperation between the AU Commission and the G5 Sahel, said the statement.

With the MoU, the G5 Sahel secretariat and force will maintain ongoing coordination with the AU Commission, with a view to the effective operationalization of the joint force.

The two parties have agreed on the establishment of a coordination structure that will provide immediate technical support to the G5 Sahel secretariat, including the establishment of trust fund governance conditions, to mobilize additional resources for the achievement of the G5 Sahel's security and development objectives.