Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have ratified their alliance within a “confederation”. The announcement was made during their first summit, organized on Saturday, July 6 as a challenge, on the eve of that of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The heads of state of the three countries, military men who came to power through coups d’état, “decided to take a further step towards deeper integration between the member states,” they said in the final communiqué of the summit. They thus adopted a treaty establishing a confederation between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger called the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), the same text specifies. The current leaders of Niger, Mali and Burkina had already announced in January their joint departure from ECOWAS to form a common force to fight against the jihadists who regularly attack their territories. The three countries have also broken with France, the former colonial power, sending away the French troops who were stationed in their countries.
Their press release also underlines their desire to “pool their resources” in sectors deemed strategic such as agriculture, water, energy and transport. They also asked that local languages be used more in the public and private media of their countries.
Distance from foreign powers
Niger’s leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, called Saturday for building “a community far from the control of foreign powers.” He also said the people of the three countries had “irrevocably turned their backs on ECOWAS,” rejecting the bloc’s calls to fall into line.
The Sahel countries’ withdrawal from ECOWAS was fueled in part by their accusations that Paris was manipulating the regional organization and not providing sufficient support for anti-jihadist efforts.
Sunday’s ECOWAS summit in the Nigerian capital Abuja comes after several West African presidents called for a resumption of dialogue with the three rebel countries. It is also the first such meeting for new Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who declared in May that reconciliation was possible after visiting Burkina Faso and Mali early in his term. The weakened West African bloc has yet to respond after Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso adopted a treaty establishing a “Confederation of Sahel States” on Saturday in Niamey.