Niger’s coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, embarked on his inaugural foreign trip by visiting Mali and meeting with Colonel Assimi Goita, as noted by journalists in Bamako, Mali.
Since assuming power in July, Tiani’s visit to Mali underscores a shared commitment among the region’s military rulers. Neighboring nations Mali and Burkina Faso, both governed by military leaders who assumed control in 2020 and 2022 respectively, have pledged support for Niger’s coup leaders.
The trio of Sahel countries entered a September pact, emphasizing mutual defense in safeguarding their “sovereignty and territorial integrity”
Plans to bolster economic relations and join forces against extremism further unify these regimes.
Tiani’s brief visit to Bamako involves discussions with Goita, described as a “friendship and working” engagement by the Malian presidency. Despite Tiani’s pledge to restore civilian rule in Niger within three years, Mali’s presidential election, slated for early 2024, has been indefinitely postponed.
Mali intends to convene ministerial meetings among the three nations in the forthcoming weeks to fine-tune operational details for their newly formed Sahel alliance, as articulated in a Thursday statement.
