African Sahel countries establish new confederation

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have announced the formation of a confederation for political, military and economic coordination, in a move that has surprised neighbours Algeria and Morocco.

The military leaderships in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso announced the establishment of a tripartite confederation in the Niger capital, Niamey, on 6 July, naming it the Confederation of Sahel States.

The most important matter mentioned in the announcement is that the three countries decided to take a step “towards greater integration”. Among the new body’s major decisions is the permanent severance from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The three countries had already left the group, but there was hope for their return. Other decisions include tripartite coordination in confronting terrorist groups and not leaving this file in the hands of foreign countries.

Le Monde newspaper reported on Monday ECOWAS’s fear of disintegration as a result of the three countries’ decision to leave it in favour of the confederation. It reported that one of the reasons for leaving ECOWAS is these countries’ belief that Paris is manipulating the policy of combating terrorist movements, in the sense of not providing sufficient support. Essentially, the three countries accuse Paris of adopting a policy of ambiguity in the fight against terrorism to serve its interests and the interests of the West in general.

READ: Bridging the future: Turkiye and the promise of public-private partnerships in Somalia