The military leaderships of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso entered into a security agreement on Saturday, pledging mutual assistance in the face of rebel uprisings, insurgencies, or external aggression, DW reports.
The pact, known as the Liptako-Gourma Charter, will establish the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), according to Mali's junta leader, Assimi Goita, who shared the news on platform X.
He explained that its purpose is to "create a framework for collective defense and reciprocal aid for the benefit of our populations."
These three landlocked Sahel nations are grappling with the challenge of containing Islamist insurgents with links to al-Qaida and the Islamic State. Additionally, they are facing strained relations with neighbors and international partners due to recent coups. Following a recent coup in Niger, the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has threatened to use force to restore constitutional order in the country. Mali and Burkina Faso had previously committed to supporting Niger in the event of an attack.
The Liptako-Gourma region, where the borders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger converge, has been heavily impacted by jihadist activities in recent years. Mali, in addition to battling jihadists, has also witnessed renewed hostilities involving predominantly Tuareg armed groups over the past week. Mali's Defense Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, stated that this alliance would encompass both military and economic cooperation among the three nations, with a primary focus on combating terrorism.
As per the charter of the pact, "any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties."
The charter also specifies that the other states will offer assistance individually or collectively, which may include the use of armed force.
All three nations were members of the France-supported G5 Sahel alliance joint force, which included Chad and Mauritania, launched in 2017 to combat Islamist groups in the region. However, relations between France and the three countries have deteriorated following the coups.
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