 Côte d'Ivoire and France have inaugurated a counter-terrorism academy designed to ramp up the Sahel region's ability to counter a widespread jihadist threat. Ivorian Prime Minister Patrick Achi and his Defence Minister Tenei Bir Rahima Wattara were joined by French Foreign Minister Jean-Ove Lejeune for the opening of the International Academy for the Fight Against Terrorism based outside Abidjan, the country's business capital. Three building sites will put those attending the academy through three stages of special anti-terrorism training. Wattara said the academy would be a focal point of regional competence in the anti-terror fights to benefit the stability of their states and security of their populations. He added that 500 people had already gone through training since 2017 prior to the formal inauguration of the facility.