Alliance of Sahel States

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Alliance of Sahel States
  • Hadin gwiwar jihohin Sahel (Hausa)
  • Sahel La’abai Ku’nda (Zarma)
  • Sahel jamanaw ka jɛɲɔgɔnya (Bambara)
  • Alliance des États du Sahel (French)
Formation16 September 2023;
7 months ago (2023-09-16)
TypeMilitary alliance,
intergovernmental organization
PurposeCollective security
Region
Sahel
Membership
LeaderIbrahim Traoré[1]

The Alliance of Sahel States[2] (AoSS)[3][4][5] is a mutual defense pact[6] created between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso on 16 September 2023.[7][8] The pact was created during the 2023 Nigerien crisis in which the West African political bloc ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily to restore civilian rule after a coup in Niger earlier that year.[9] All of these three states were increasing ties to Russia during creation of the organization. As such Russia is presumed[by whom?] to be brokering this agreement.[10][11][12] Josep Borrell, EU Foreign Minister, stated it led to a ‘new geopolitical configuration’ in the region.[13]

The alliance's stated goal is to protect against possible threats of armed rebellion or external aggression by emphasizing that "any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties."[7]

This alliance is not to be confused with the Sahel Alliance (Alliance Sahel in French).[14]

Background[edit]

The Sahel has been the site of an ongoing jihadist insurgency since 2003, which has led to many conflicts in the region, such as the Mali War and the Boko Haram insurgency. All three member states have had their elected pro-Western governments overthrown by their militaries, and each is ruled by a junta as part of the Coup Belt.[15] In 2022 Mali withdrew from the internationally backed G5 Sahel alliance. Niger and Burkina Faso did so in 2023, leading to announcement of the dissolution of the framework by its last two members Chad and Mauritania three days later.[16]

In the 2020 Malian coup d'état, Assimi Goïta and the National Committee for the Salvation of the People seized power in Mali after overthrowing the elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.[17] Goïta later led a second coup in 2021 which deposed the interim president Bah Ndaw, who had been nominated to lead a transitional military government.[18]

Just months later, in the 2021 Guinean coup d'état the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development removed the elected Alpha Condé and installed Mamady Doumbouya as transitional president.[19]

A faction of Burkina Faso's military overthrew their existing military government in the September 2022 coup d'état, installing Ibrahim Traoré over Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who came to power in the January 2022 coup d'état which toppled the democratic government of President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.[20]

Most recently, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland removed the elected government of Niger's Mohamed Bazoum, installing Abdourahamane Tchiani and a new junta in the 2023 coup d'état.[21]

All three of the alliance's member states are suspended members of ECOWAS; after the coup in Niger, ECOWAS has threatened to intervene militarily and restore President Bazoum's government, which resulted in the Nigerien crisis. The Nigerien government has the backing of Mali and Burkina Faso, which promised military aid to Niger in the event of an intervention, and Guinea, which has been offering diplomatic support. The promises of military aid resulted in the creation of AES as a mutual defense bloc for the three nations in an attempt to stave off an ECOWAS intervention.[22] On 28 January 2024, the three countries announced via a joint statement that they were withdrawing from ECOWAS.[23]

The alliance aims to create an economic and monetary union with a proposed currency called the Sahel.[24]

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Military-ruled former French colonies forge NATO-style Alliance of Sahel States". 17 September 2023.
  2. ^ Gray, Sébastien (27 November 2023). "Burkina Faso Claims to Kill 400 Militants, as Militants Claim Victories". The Brief. Atlas News. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  3. ^ "International Women's Day Celebrations With AES Women in New York". Embassy of the Republic of Mali in the Untited States of America. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  4. ^ Gray, Sébastien (27 November 2023). "Burkina Faso Claims to Kill 400 Militants, as Militants Claim Victories". The Brief. Atlas News. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Sahel countries band together, may create own currency — area expert". TASS. 16 February 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  6. ^ https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/09/16/mali-burkina-faso-and-niger-sign-mutual-defense-pact_6136615_4.html
  7. ^ a b "Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso sign Sahel security pact". Reuters. 16 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  8. ^ Report, Agency (16 September 2023). "Mali, Niger, Burkina juntas sign mutual defence pact". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso establish Sahel security alliance". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Russia's Wagner Group expands into Africa's Sahel wit a new brand". CNBC. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  11. ^ "West African coup juntas threaten to quit regional block: What it means". CNBC. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  12. ^ "The Alliance of Sahel States: A regional crisis in troubled West Africa". Samir Bhattacharya. Observer Research Foundation. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Russia's Africa Corps - more than old wine in a new bottle | ISS Africa". Institute for Security Studies. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  14. ^ The Sahel Alliance
  15. ^ "ECOWAS Unity Put to Test as West African Coup Crisis Deepens". VOA. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  16. ^ "Chad, Mauritania pave way for dissolution of G5 Sahel alliance". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Mali Coup Soldiers Take to Airwaves, Promise Elections". The New York Times. Associated Press. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  18. ^ "Mali : Bah N'Daw démissionne, Assimi Goïta devient président". Jeune Afrique (in French). 26 May 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  19. ^ Samb, Saliou (6 September 2021). "Elite Guinea army unit says it has toppled president". Reuters. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  20. ^ "Burkina : Ibrahim Traoré proclamé président, Damiba destitué". Jeune Afrique (in French). 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  21. ^ "Niger general Tchiani named head of transitional government after coup". Al Jazeera. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  22. ^ "Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso sign Sahel security pact". Reuters. 16 September 2023. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  23. ^ "Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger quit ECOWAS". Deutsche Welle. 28 January 2024. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  24. ^ "ÉCONOMIE AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST Mali, Burkina, Niger : une monnaie commune est-elle crédible ?". Jeune Afrique. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
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