The West African Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, all currently under military juntas, have signed a security pact, committing to come to the aid of each other in case of any rebellion or external aggression.
This comes as the tension between the junta ruled Niger and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) grows over the refusal of the former to return power to democratic government following the July coup.
The three countries in the pact are struggling to contain insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State and have also faced strained relations with their neighbors and international partners due to recent coups.
The most recent coup in Niger heightened tensions within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the regional bloc they belong to. ECOWAS had previously threatened to use force to restore constitutional rule in Niger.
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“Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties,” according to the charter of the pact, known as the Alliance of Sahel States.
It said the other states will assist individually or collectively, including with the use of armed force.
“I have today signed with the Heads of State of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, with the aim of establishing a collective defence and mutual assistance framework,” Mali junta leader Assimi Goita said on his X social media account.
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All three states were members of the France-supported G5 Sahel alliance joint force with Chad and Mauritania, launched in 2017 to tackle extremists in the region.
Mali has since left the dormant organisation after a military coup, while deposed Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum said in May last year that the force is now “dead” following Mali’s departure.