Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, the three nations comprising the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have announced plans to deploy a unified military force of 5,000 troops to counter growing terrorist threats in the region.
The announcement, made on Tuesday by Niger’s Defense Minister, General Salifou Mody, shows the urgency of coordinating security efforts across the vast, landlocked territories of the three countries.
The force will include aerial, ground, and intelligence capabilities alongside a dedicated coordination system.
This unified force, which is practically ready, has a strength of 5,000 men, General Mody stated during an interview with Niger’s public broadcast. He added that the force will become operational in a matter of weeks.
The AES aims to strengthen its collective response to the persistent terrorist attacks that plague the border regions of the three countries.
Joint operations between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are already underway in these high-risk areas, but the new initiative will formalize and intensify their collaboration.
In this shared space, our forces will now be able to intervene together, stated General Mody, emphasizing that this “unified force, which is practically ready, comprises 5,000 troops.”
This announcement comes as the three AES countries prepare to finalize their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional bloc of 15 member states.
Their withdrawal, which their leaders have described as “irreversible,” will become official on January 29. This follows a year-long notice period stipulated by ECOWAS regulations.
Yesterday, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama appointed Larry Gbevlo-Lartey as Special Envoy to the Sahel States Alliance (AES), signalling a more substantial commitment to regional security and cooperation.
Gbevlo-Lartey, a retired military officer and former national security coordinator of Ghana was appointed pivotally as the AES member countries, including Mali, prepare to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
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