Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum calls on French and European leaders to “take more risks and not be haunted by lossesto ensure the success of their military operations in the Sahel, in an interview with La Croix and L’Obs.
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In this interview given to the French daily and weekly newspaper published on Wednesday, Mohamed Bazoum notes the “deadof the regional organization G5 Sahel (Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad) following the withdrawal of Mali. The war in Ukraine showsthat Westerners have a lot of money, of which they can put a significant part in the fight against terrorism, in the stabilization of our countries“, he believes, urging French President Emmanuel Macron and his European peers to do more in the Sahel.
He specifies that he would like the presence of the French Barkhane force “more consistent, different rules of engagement and more equipment for our armies“. “Westerners in operation take too many precautions, which makes it difficult for their actions to succeed. They are obsessed with this idea that it takes zero losses to succeed. They have to make a little more sacrifice, take more risks and not be haunted by losses“, insists the Nigerian president. Since 2013, the French army has lost more than 50 soldiers in the Sahel.
No “symbolic forces”
Mohamed Bazoum also reaffirms his desire for the deployment of French and European forces in his country “on the border of Mali and Burkina“. “We expect them to be sent there in large numbers, with substantial air capabilities, effective rules of engagement, sacrifices, financial means, with many more helicopters, bombs. We will be very disappointed if, tomorrow, France and Europe position symbolic forces in our country to combat the spread of terrorism“, he warns. He again criticizes the Malian authorities resulting from two putschs, in August 2020 and May 2021.
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“Our border with Mali is now under the control of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS). Bamako has not taken over the advanced military posts on our borderhe says. “The G5 Sahel is dead. Since the second coup in Mali (in May 2021, editor’s note), Bamako has been in a headlong rush which isolates it in Africa and deprives us of a concerted and coordinated strategy to fight against terrorism“, he laments. The colonels in power in Bamako announced on Sunday evening the withdrawal of Mali G5 Sahel, including its joint anti-jihadist force launched in 2017, to protest against the country’s refusal to assume the rotating presidency of this regional organization.
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