🚨AFRICA 🚨
The West African states of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have in common that they are ruled by military regimes. According to information from Bamako, they Have now formed a defense alliance….
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are located in the Sahel zone on the southern edge of the Sahara and have been plagued for years by Islamist terrorist groups that carry out bloody attacks against civilians and increasingly control territory. The military has been in power in Niger since July, in Burkina Faso since last year, and in Mali there was the most recent coup in 2021.
Malian interim president Colonel Assimi Goïta announced the signing of a charter establishing the so-called Alliance of Sahel States (AES). “The aim of the Charter is to create an architecture of collective defense and mutual assistance between the Parties,” the document says.
With the Charter, the contracting parties undertake to combat terrorism and organized crime. “Any violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more Contracting Parties shall be considered aggression against the other Contracting Parties and shall oblige all Contracting Parties to provide assistance and remedy… including the use of armed force.” Burkina Faso’s interim president Ibrahim Traoré and the Nigerien regime leader Abdourahamane Tiani were also seen in photos signing the document.
Mali and Burkina Faso had already sided with Niger when the West African community of states ECOWAS threatened military intervention after the coup there. In the dispute, all three states have turned away from the ex-colonial power France, which had previously provided military aid. Mali relies on mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group in the fight against terrorists.
