Three West African nations governed by military juntas have declared their intention to establish a joint force to combat the growing threat posed by jihadist activities. Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso revealed this collaborative initiative following discussions held in the Nigerien capital, Niamey.
Niger’s army chief, Moussa Salaou Barmou, emphasized that the joint force would be operational at the earliest opportunity, although specific details regarding its size were not provided.
In the past year, groups affiliated with both Islamic State and al-Qaeda have been responsible for numerous casualties in the region, prompting the military governments of the three countries to strengthen their alliance.
Last September, they formalized their collaboration with a mutual defense pact named the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), withdrawing from the international G5 force established to combat Islamist threats in the region.
Despite assurances from the military regimes to address the decade-long conflict with jihadist groups, violence in West Africa’s Sahel region has escalated.
The three nations have severed ties with France, their former colonial power, which maintained a robust military presence across the Sahel for years.
Additionally, the military governments have distanced themselves from the West African economic bloc Ecowas, from which they were previously suspended. Ecowas has consistently urged a swift return to democratic rule and imposed travel and economic sanctions on the military regimes. While some sanctions were recently lifted or eased in response to Ecowas’ push for dialogue, the military regimes have further solidified their ties with Russia, which has stepped in to fill the void left by their severed connections.
