Niger’s military leader, speaking alongside the heads of the junta of Mali and Burkina Faso, said they are “irrevocably” turning their backs on the wider West African bloc, ECOWAS.
The three men meet for the first time to cement an alliance created in the face of opposition from neighboring countries.
Soldiers seized power in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in a series of coups between 2020 and 2023.
All three countries – which now form the Alliance of Sahel States – have been affected by jihadist violence, in part a reason given for the army takeovers.
In January, everyone announced a plan to leave ECOWAS, which is holding its own summit on Sunday.
Speaking at Saturday’s meeting in Niger’s capital, Niamey, the country’s leader, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, said that in place of ECOWAS, the junta chiefs wanted to build a community of sovereign peoples “away from the control of foreign powers. A community of sovereign peoples”. peace, solidarity and prosperity based on our African values.”
Gen Tchiani is the host of talks with Captain Ibrahim Traoré from Burkina Faso and Colonel Assimi Goïta from Mali.
In a message on Xthe Burkinabe leader said that “together we will consolidate the foundations of our true independence”.
Speaking at the summit, Captain Traoré went on to say that “this continent has suffered and continues to suffer from the fire of the imperialists. These imperialists have only one cliché in mind: ‘Africa is the empire of slaves’”.
Security cooperation is high on the agenda, but the alliance, known by its French acronym AES, will also seek to form closer economic ties, including the aim of creating a common currency. This would be a rejection of the French-backed CFA Franc, which is used in many states in the region.
All three countries expelled French soldiers who were there as part of an anti-jihadist mission and turned to Russia for military assistance.
Calls for greater sovereignty and the rejection of former colonial power have been a key part of the rhetoric coming from junta leaders.
Countries also resisted ECOWAS calls for a quick return to civilian rule.
Captain Traoré arrived in Niamey the day before the meeting and was received enthusiastically. Television footage shows cheering crowds waving flags of Niger and Burkina Faso.
Among them was Sidi Mohamed, head of the National Youth Council.
“Today, as Africans, we are very proud to see a summit where it is an African summit, a summit where the states decided to unite their energies, unite their forces to create an alliance for their development, without any foreign actors, without any counterparts of the powers that are used to governing us”, he told journalists.
Colonel Goïta arrived on Saturday.
The presidents of the wider West African bloc will have the opportunity to respond at a meeting of heads of state in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Sunday.
They should also announce the activation of a reserve force to combat regional insecurity.
Over the past decade, the Sahel has become an increasing focus of Islamic State militant activity, creating insecurity and instability.
Juntas in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have so far failed to quell the violence.
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