The military junta that seized power in Niger through a coup on July 26 has formed a military alliance with its neighbouring nations, Burkina Faso and Mali. Both Burkina Faso and Mali have also undergone changes in leadership through coup d’états. The foreign ministers of these three countries jointly made this announcement in Niamey, which serves as Niger’s capital.
This agreement permits Mali and Burkina Faso to extend military support to Niger in the event of military intervention against the group that orchestrated the coup. A comparable pact between Burkina Faso and Mali already exists. In response to the coup in Niger this July, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) activated a ready-to-deploy force and issued threats of force unless democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum was reinstated and constitutional order was re-established.
Negotiations between ECOWAS and the Nigerian junta were held over the preceding weekend. The declared accord also entails collaborative measures among the three countries to combat terrorist organizations that are active within their borders and to enhance border security.
For a number of years, the nations within the Sahel region have faced threats from diverse terrorist militias, some of which have pledged allegiance to either Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State. During Bazoum’s leadership, Niger was widely regarded as a key partner in the Western efforts to counter the advancement of Islamist militants in the Sahel. (dpa/NAN)
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