UN Security Council
2017

through the conduct of cross-border joint military counter-terrorist operations, 17-10311 (E) *1710311* S/RES/2359 (2017) welcoming the efforts of the French forces to support these operations, and also welcoming the decision of the States of the Sahel and Sahara to establish a new counterterrorist center with its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Taking note of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel) resolution of 6 February 2017, which decided to set up a G5 Sahel joint force ( Force conjointe du G5 Sahel — FC-G5S), of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security communiqué of 13 April 2017, which endorsed the strategic concept of operations and author ized the deployment of the FC-G5S, and of the United Nations Secretary-General’s letter of 15 May 2017 transmitting the AU PSC communiqué to the members of the Council, Underlining the primary responsibility of the G5 Sahel States to ensure the protection of civilians in their respective territories in accordance with their obligations under international law, and underlining the need for the operations of