The African Union (AU) says it plans to deploy some 3,000 troops to the troubled Sahel region to help in the fight against Islamist militants.

AFP news agency reports the head of the AU's Peace and Security Commission, Smail Chergui, to say that the deployment would last for six months.

The announcement comes a month after the 33 African Union Summit that focused on silencing guns in the continent.

It is still unclear which countries will provide the troops to be deployed to the Sahel.

The region already has international forces operating there, including French and U.S. troops.

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted leaders from the Sahel region in January to discuss the way forward in the fight against the Islamists.

The meeting held in Pau resolved that France and nations from the Sahel region would step up military co-operation to fight the jihadist insurgency there. Forces will be placed under one umbrella and efforts focused on tackling militancy.

France is now using armed drones against the militants and recently boosted its presence in the region to more than 5,000 troops.

Source(s): BBC