The presidents of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have officially signed a charter to establish a confederation.

During the first summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (#ASS), leaders from #Burkina Faso, #Mali, and #Niger convened with the main goal of approving a draft document to form the AGS confederation, as reported by the Nigerian Press Agency (NAP).
This summit, which took place in Niamey, was presided over by Niger's leader, Abdurahmane Tchiani. Attending the summit were Presidents Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso and Assimi Goita of Mali.

On Saturday, General Abdourahamane Tiani, Niger's military leader, declared that the citizens of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have "irrevocably turned their backs" on the West African bloc, ECOWAS.

"Russian Africa Corps soldiers deployed to Niger, which will challenge U.S. efforts to stay in Niger in the immediate term—undermining the West’s counterterrorism goals—and present long-term opportunities for the Kremlin to create threats that strategically pressure Europe."

🔶️ "The Africa Corps contingent in Niger will likely remain small in the coming months because it lacks the capacity for a bigger deployment due to recruitment issues."

🔶️ "This small footprint will enable Russia to strengthen its influence in Niger and consolidate its logistical network in Africa without significantly affecting the rapidly escalating al Qaeda and Islamic State insurgencies in Niger."

🔶️ "Greater Russian influence and military presence in Niger in the coming years will create several future opportunities for the Kremlin to strategically threaten Europe with energy blackmail, migration influxes, and conventional military threats."

Killing of #Christians - #Sahel and Somalia: The Epicenter of Violence

In the Sahel region, a staggering 11,643 fatalities were linked to Islamic violence in 2023, marking a record high for any of the five African theaters. This represents a nearly threefold increase from the levels seen in 2020, highlighting the deteriorating security situation in the region.

Violence against civilians in the Sahel accounts for 35 percent of all Islamic-related events, the highest percentage across the continent. However, it’s important to note that the actual numbers may be higher due to underreporting, attributed to shrinking media coverage in the wake of political instability in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

The report underscores that a significant portion of the surge in fatalities can be attributed to the Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) coalition, particularly the Macina Liberation Front (FLM) and Ansaroul Islam. This Muslim coalition was associated with a 67-percent spike in reported deaths, making it a major driver of violence in the Sahel. - RAIR Foundation

Burkina Faso notifies ECOWAS of its withdrawal from organization

Burkina Faso has officially notified the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of its decision to drop out of the bloc, Reuters quoted the country's Foreign Ministry as saying.

Mali and Niger had also previously sent similar notifications to ECOWAS. On January 28, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS, a regional organization of 15 countries.

On Monday, the Foreign Ministry of Nigeria, which holds the ECOWAS presidency, said the military authorities of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali acted in "bad faith" by making the joint decision to withdraw from the organization.

On Tuesday, the African Union urged the three countries to open a dialogue with ECOWAS' representatives.

Last September, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger signed a charter to create a collective defense organization called the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS). The founding document noted that violation of the sovereignty or territorial integrity of one or more parties to the charter will be considered an aggressive act against all three parties and will require their assistance, individually or collectively, up to and including the use of military force.

Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger announce their withdrawal from ECOWAS

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have decided to Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Reuters reported.

According to the news agency, the joint statement to this effect was read out live on Niger’s national television.