Darfur Follow-ups.
Burkina Faso and Niger announced their withdrawal from “all G5 Sahel bodies, including the Joint Force, as of November 29, 2023,” “after an in-depth evaluation of the group and its work.”
A joint statement issued by the governments of the two countries said that the group, which was established on December 19, 2014, “is still struggling, nearly 9 years after its founding, to achieve its goals, but worse than that, the legitimate ambitions of our countries, to make the Sahel region a region of security and development, are being fulfilled.” Its frustration due to the institutional burden and burdens from other international parties convince us that the path to independence and dignity that we are committed to today is the right path, which contradicts participation in the G5 Sahel in its current form.”
The statement explained that “the Group of Five in the Sahel cannot serve foreign interests at the expense of the interests of the peoples of the Sahel, let alone accept the dictates of any power, whatever it may be, in the name of a misleading and childish partnership that denies the right to sovereignty of our peoples and countries. Therefore, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger have clearly assumed historical responsibility.” To withdraw from this organization.
The statement, signed on December 1, 2023, affirmed that “the transitional governments of Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger, which are deeply committed to achieving lasting peace in the Sahel region, remain convinced of the need for a unified commitment from our countries in the fight against terrorism and transnational crime, as well as for development.”
The statement added, “In order to achieve this goal, Burkina Faso and Niger will maintain the dynamic of cooperation between them, especially within the framework of the Sahel States Alliance, to make our coastal space a sovereign zone, responsible for reclaiming our lands and restoring peace and security in them, while ensuring the common development of the peoples of the Sahel.”
Mali had withdrawn from the G5 Sahel and its military force in mid-May 2022, in protest against the refusal to assume the rotating presidency.
More than two months ago, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger formed a tripartite framework, which they called the Sahel States Alliance. The foreign ministers of these countries recommended, at the conclusion of yesterday’s meeting in Bamako, the establishment of a confederation bringing together the three countries.
The G5 Sahel group was formed in 2014 in Nouakchott, and launched its military force in 2017. In addition to the three withdrawing countries, it included Chad and Mauritania, which currently holds its rotating presidency.
