In his first international trip since taking over in July, General Abdourahamane Tiani, the head of Niger’s military, met with counterparts in Mali and Burkina Faso on Thursday, November 23, 2023.
The military leaders who took over Mali and Burkina Faso, two countries bordering Niger, in 2020 and 2022, respectively, have vowed support for the coup leaders in Niger.
Tiani arrived in Burkina Faso on Thursday evening for a “friendship and working visit” with Captain Ibrahim Traore.
He had expressed gratitude to his counterpart Colonel Assimi Goita of Mali earlier in the day in Bamako for “the support and determination of the Malian authorities and people to work with the authorities and people of Niger, whatever the obstacles”.
In September, the three Sahelian nations signed an agreement that calls for mutual defense in the event that any of the nations’ “sovereignty and territorial integrity” are attacked.
Tiani stated that the alliance’s goal was to turn the Sahel from a “region of insecurity” to a “region of prosperity” while she was in Mali.
The leaders also intend to deepen economic cooperation, and Tiani expressed gratitude to his neighbors for supporting his nation in the wake of the coup, which saw sanctions against Niger announced by Western and regional allies.
“It would seem that the purpose of the embargo was to exert pressure on the authorities,” Tiani said.
“But this does not take into account the fact it is actually the people who are suffering… that is why we are willing to exchange, to negotiate, but with people motivated by good will, with sincere people, with people who care about the African people.”
The regimes are allied in their efforts to combat jihadism within their nations.
Tiani promised to return Niger to civilian rule within three years of assuming power.
Mali, on the other hand, has pushed back its early 2024 presidential election indefinitely.
In an effort to finalize the operational details of the new Sahel alliance, Mali intends to host ministers from the three nations for meetings, the country said in a statement on Thursday, November 23, 2023.
Ref: AFP
