The heads of the armies of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, three military regimes grouped within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), announced Wednesday March 6 in Niamey the creation of a "Joint Force" to fight the jihadist groups who strike them.
This “Joint Force of the AES countries (...) will be operational as soon as possible to take into account the security challenges in our space”, indicates General Moussa Salaou Barmou, Nigerien Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. , in a press release published after a meeting in Niamey with his Malian and Burkinabe counterparts.
The contours and numbers of this force have not been specified.
“We are convinced that with the combined efforts of our three countries, we will succeed in creating the conditions for shared security,” assured General Barmou.
He stressed that the three armies had managed to "develop an operational concept" which "will make it possible to achieve the objectives in terms of defense and security" in the immense territory of the three countries.
Coups d'Etat
In Niger, Burkina and Mali, all facing recurring and deadly jihadist violence for years, civilian governments have been overthrown by successive military coups since 2020.
These three countries, former French colonies, turned their backs on Paris and moved closer to new partners, including Russia, before coming together within the AES with the aim of creating a federation.
At the end of January, they also announced that they were leaving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) without being bound by a one-year deadline as provided for in the organization's texts.
With AFP
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