The Confederation Alliance of Sahel States was officially launched on Saturday, July 6. Meeting at a summit, the transitional presidents of Mali, Colonel Assimi Goïta, of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, and of the CNSP in power in Niger, General Abdourahamane Tiani, signed the treaty creating this confederation. It is intended to further strengthen ties between the three countries of the central Sahel. Four days later, there has still been no official reaction in Mali, but some express different opinions.
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No statement from any Malian political party was issued after this announcement. However, it involves the future of the country. RFI contacted two political executives, one supporting and one opposing the transitional authorities.
” Confederation is a very good thing because it allows us to be free and to be ourselves., rejoices Hamman Touré, president of the Assimi Takokele Social Movement (MSAT) and fervent supporter of Colonel Assimi Goïta, transitional president at Mali. This means that we have our autonomy to act with complete peace of mind. This allows us to make our own decisions and move forward as we see fit.. »
“If our heads of state act, the population agrees”
This important initiative was not the subject of any referendum or any consultation of Malian citizens. The population is already ready, Hamman Touré still assures. We have had debates about this. If our heads of state act, the population is totally in agreement with them. We are in favor of all the decisions they are making. There is no obstacle to this decision, because they know that they are with the population. They have this total freedom that we give them.. »
Create this confederationis this a way of freeing oneself from the guardianship of the ECOWASwhose Sahelian leaders reaffirmed last Saturday that their decision to leave was ” irrevocable » ? « Why only ECOWAS? asks the president of MSAT. JI am talking to you from all over the world! There is no war between us and ECOWAS. We want to move forward as we wish.. »
” Smoke and mirrors to maintain power »
At the other end of the Malian political spectrum, Ismaël Sacko is president of the African Democratic Socialist Party (PSDA), member of several opposition movements demanding a return to constitutional order, such as the Synergie d’action pour le Mali or the Déclaration du 31 mars.
” This confederation is not appropriatejudges the opponent, in exile outside Mali. It was launched in a belligerent, immature manner. It has no legal and legitimate basis, and the heads of state who launched it do not have popular legitimacy either. The people were not involved or consulted. Nor were economic operators, while the decisions that were taken will have quite serious consequences both for the population and for our countries. So the confederation, which is leaving ECOWAS without any preparation, is a strategic error.. »
Colonel Assimi Goïta, Captain Ibrahim Traoré and General Abdourahamane Tiani say they want to create with this confederation ” a sovereign space of security, peace and prosperity “, according to the Niamey Declaration, signed at the same time as the Treaty establishing the confederation.
” It’s a smokescreen, stupidity and irresponsibility on their part to maintain power., Judge Ismael Sacko. We are talking about sovereignty when economically, they do not have the means to ensure the daily life of the populations. In Bamako, people live in the dark, they live 24 hours or more without electricity. What sovereignty is this when the three countries are Russia’s plaything? »