Military leaders from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, who took power through coups, have established the union, Confederation of Sahel Nations Union (AES).
According to France 24, President Assimi Goïta of Mali, interim President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, and General Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger announced they had signed a treaty to establish the AES. Last September, they also signed a military pact, the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS).
These three countries in the Sahel region emphasized their intention to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January on the day of the summit. They believe that France manipulates ECOWAS and is more interested in exploiting Africa’s resources than fulfilling its mission for the regional community.
After each country’s coup, the military leader came into power: Mali in August 2021, Burkina Faso in September 2022, and Niger in July 2023.
All three countries ended military cooperation with Western countries, including their former colonial ruler, France. Conversely, they are expanding alliances with Russia. The French military pulled out from Mali in 2022 and left Niger and Burkina Faso last year.
The U.S. also announced to pull U.S. troops from the Niger 101 Air Force Base by the 7th. Furthermore, the U.S. withdrew from a drone base worth $100 million that had been collecting information on local armed groups. Instead, Niger agreed to establish military cooperation with Russia in January of this year. Russian troops are stationed in Burkina Faso.
Al Jazeera questioned whether this pact has aided in reducing violence in the lives of its 72 million residents. It also pointed out these countries’ economic and social crises. Specifically, Mali has a poverty rate of 19%, and its economy is hyper-dependent on agriculture and gold exports.
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