Niger: General Tiani receives Prime Ministers of Mali and Burkina Faso to strengthen ties

The day after their arrival in Niamey, the Prime Ministers of Mali Choguel Maïga and Burkina Faso Apollinaire Kyélèm de Tambela continue their three-day visit to Niger. Accompanied by their Nigerien counterpart, they were received on Saturday (December 30th) by General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the CNSP and who has been at the helm of Niger since the coup. The three leaders have shown their closeness, and their desire to strengthen their ties, after creating the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

On the eve of the meeting, the three prime ministers attended a rally in Niamey, celebrating the departure of French troops from Niger. Here, Niger's Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, Burkina Faso's Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and Mali's Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga at the event in Niamey, December 29, 2023. © Mahamadou Hamidou / Reuters

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In the family photo, the three prime ministers are flanked hand in hand with General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP). To his left, Apollinaire Kyélèm de Tambela from Burkina Faso, and to his right, Choguel Maïga from Mali, and Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine from Niger, in front of the presidential palace in Niamey.

According to the CNSP, the audience was devoted to "strategic" discussions between the three countries, which have come together by creating the Alliance of Sahel States, particularly in the security field. The three neighbours say they want to further strengthen this alliance, moving towards the creation of a federation.

The three prime ministers first denounced ECOWAS sanctions and addressed issues such as sovereignty and the importance of the armed forces. They then had a working session in the presence of other representatives of the new Nigerien government.

Joint projects must be put on the table quickly, says Nigerien Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, citing a highway and a railway.

Their working visit to Niger will end in Agadez, where they are scheduled to attend the final of the traditional wrestling championship, the National Sabre, before returning to their respective countries.

🟢The President of the CNSP, Head of State of Niger, H.E. Abdourahmane TIANI, receives the Prime Ministers of the Alliance of Sahel States
This Saturday, the Head of State granted an audience to the Prime Ministers of the Alliance of Sahel
States (AES) at the Presidential Palace of Niger... pic.twitter.com/uLF3aYZVxb

— National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland (@NIGER_CNSP) December 30, 2023

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Read on the same topics:

  • Niger
  • Abdourahamane Tiani
  • Burkina Faso
  • Mali
  • Choguel Maïga