BURKINA FASO, MALI, AND NIGER STRENGTHEN ALLIANCE WITH NEW TREATY

Sun 07 July 2024:

Military leaders from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have signed a treaty aimed at enhancing integration and solidifying a mutual defense pact, marking a clear departure from traditional regional and Western alliances. At a summit in Niamey, the leaders formalized the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), reinforcing a commitment to mutual defense.

This move follows their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the imposition of sanctions by ECOWAS after military coups in each country. The leaders criticized ECOWAS and former colonial powers for their influence and interference, asserting a new era of self-determination and resource control.

The summit also coincided with the scheduled U.S. military withdrawal from Niger, highlighting the changing security dynamics in the region. The countries are increasingly aligning with Russia for security and economic support, despite ongoing violence and instability.

In 2023, Burkina Faso saw a massive escalation in violence, with more than 8,000 people killed, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) tracker.

In Niger, slight gains against armed groups largely backslid following the coup, according to ACLED.

Meanwhile, an offensive by Malian forces and Wagner mercenaries saw “elements” of the Russian-government-linked group “involved in the indiscriminate killing of hundreds of civilians, destruction of infrastructure, and looting of property, as well as triggering mass displacement”, ACLED said.

About three million people have been displaced by fighting across the countries.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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