Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger finalize the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States in Niamey

The Foreign Ministers finish outlining a political structure that will expand the current defensive coalition of the three countries

May 18. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have “finalized” this past Friday in the Nigerien capital, Niamey, the draft text on the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States, a political expansion of the current military coalition that they form These three countries, all dominated by coup military junta and functioning outside the pan-African organizations.

This project, the Malian Foreign Ministry has announced, will be “in the coming weeks” by the military leaders of these three countries: Malian colonel Assimi Goita, Burkinabé captain Ibrahim Traoré and Nigerien general Abdouramane Tchiani.

After previous meetings of those responsible for the Economy, the ministers have thus announced the launch of “a process aimed at expanding the areas of competence of the Alliance of Sahel States”, the aforementioned military coalition, with a view to “the creation of a confederacy”.

The Malian Foreign Ministry recalls that this meeting sends “a strong message” that the current alliance between these three countries “continues to move” and that the population that is part of this future confederation “unequivocally supports” its leaders “in the face of the threats of destabilization to which their countries are subject.

This same Saturday, it should be remembered, the European Union training mission (EUTM Mali) ended in Mali after eleven years in which more than 8,300 Spanish soldiers, with four Spanish generals in command, have contributed to instructing more than 20,000 members of the Malian Armed Forces.

The European Union decided not to extend the mandate of EUTM Mali due to continued clashes with the military junta that has held power in Mali since 2020. These clashes culminated in the departure of French troops fighting jihadist groups in the north and with the authorization of the authorities to the Russian paramilitary entity Wagner Group to operate in the country.