The military regimes of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger concluded on Saturday September 16 a defensive alliance whose priority will be the fight against terrorism, ministerial delegations from the three countries announced in Bamako.
This “Charter of Liptako-Gourma” created “the Alliance of Sahel States” (AES), wrote about X (ex-Twitter), the head of the Malian junta, Assimi Goita. Its goal is “to establish an architecture of collective defense and mutual assistance”he stressed.
The charter provides (art. 6) that “any attack on the sovereignty and integrity of the territory of one or more contracting parties will be considered as an aggression against the other parties and will engage a duty of assistance and relief of all parties, individually or collectively, including the use of armed force to restore and ensure security within the area covered by the Alliance”.
Since the July 26 coup in Niger, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has maintained a constant position: the military authorities must “restore constitutional order immediately” by freeing the deposed president Mohamed Bazoum and reinstating him in office.
“U“combination of military and economic efforts”
The West African organization has repeatedly threatened armed intervention and imposed heavy economic sanctions on Niger. However, neighboring Burkina and Mali believe that a military operation against their country would be a “unlawful and senseless aggression” and promised a “immediate response”.
“This alliance will be a combination of military and economic efforts between the three countries”Malian Defense Minister Abdoulaye Diop told journalists. “Our priority is the fight against terrorism in the three countries”he added.
The Liptako-Gourma region, bordering Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, has been ravaged by jihadism in recent years. Mali and Burkina, led by soldiers who came to power through coups in 2020 and 2022, quickly displayed their solidarity with the generals of Niamey after the coup.
The latter remain inflexible and retain the deposed president Mohamed Bazoum, whom they intend to pursue for ” high treason “, prisoner since July 26. In Niger, around ten jihadist attacks have left around a hundred dead, half of them civilians, since July 26.
L’“Sahel Alliance” brings together several countries and international institutions such as France, Germany and the United States which have suspended their aid programs in Niger.