Mali, Burkina Faso warn against military intervention in Niger

Mali and Burkina Faso’s military government issued a warning that any military action taken against Niger would be considered a “declaration of war” against those two West African countries.

An operation in Niger would have “disastrous consequences” for Niger and risk destabilizing the whole region, government spokesmen for Mali and Burkina Faso said in a joint statement on Monday, Bloomberg reported.

The statement follows a warning from ECOWAS, the regional union for West Africa, that it might use force to overthrow the military coup leader in Niger.

“The Transitional Governments of Burkina Faso and Mali learned through the press of the conclusions of the extraordinary summits of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) held on July 30, 2023 in Abuja on the political situation in Niger,” the joint statement said.

“The Transitional Governments of Burkina Faso and Mali: Express their fraternal solidarity and that of the peoples of Burkina Faso and Mali with the brotherly people of NIGER who have decided in full responsibility to take their destiny into their own hands and to assume before history the fullness of their sovereignty;

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“Denounce the persistence of these regional organisations to impose sanctions aggravating the suffering of the populations and jeopardising the spirit of Pan-Africanism:

“Refuse to apply these illegal, illegitimate and inhuman sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger;

“Warn that any military intervention against Niger would amount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali;

“Warn that any military intervention against Niger would result in the withdrawal of Burkina Faso and Mali from ECOWAS, as well as the adoption of self-defence measures in support of the armed forces and the people of Niger;

“Warn against the disastrous consequences of a military intervention in Niger which could destabilize the entire region as was the unilateral NATO intervention in Libya which was at the origin of the expansion of terrorism in the Sahel and West AFRICA.”

The military leaders said they are deeply indignant and surprised by the imbalance observed between, on the one hand, the celerity and the adventurous attitude of certain political leaders in West Africa wishing to use armed forces to restore constitutional order in a sovereign country, and on the other hand, the inaction, indifference and passive complicity of these organisations and political leaders in helping states and peoples who have been victims of terrorism for a decade and left to their fate.

“In any case, the Transitional Governments of Burkina Faso and Mali invite the living forces to be ready and mobilised, in order to lend a hand to the people of Niger, in these dark hours of Pan-Africanism,” the countries said.