Military intervention in Niger not to be tolerated: Mali, Burkina Faso

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
8 Aug 2023 11:27

On Monday, Mali and Burkina Faso sent a delegation to Niamey in a show of support to the military junta in Niger.

Mohammad Toumba, one of the soldiers who ousted Nigerien President Mohammad Bazoum, addresses supporters of Niger's ruling junta in Niamey, August 6, 2023 (AP)

The head of delegations of both Burkina Faso and Mali, Mali's Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization Abdoulaye Maiga said after a meeting with the Nigerien coup leaders that Mali and Burkina Faso will not accept any military intervention in Niger.

Following a meeting on Monday during which Mali and Burkina Faso sent a delegation in a show of support to the military junta in Niger, Maiga underlined Mali and Burkina Faso's decision to "participate fully in self-defense operations" of the Nigerien forces in the event of an intervention.

"One thing is certain, President [of Mali Assimi] Goita and [President of Burkina Faso Ibrahim] Traore said no, no, and no. We will not accept a military intervention in Niger," Maiga said, as quoted by Mali's aBamako news website.

The crisis in Niger was sparked on July 26, when the presidential guard detained President Bazoum, leading to the subsequent declaration of interim leadership by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who also assumed the presidency of the Caretaker National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland.

ECOWAS has resorted to implementing a full pressure campaign on the country, which included the closure of land and air borders between the bloc's countries and Niger, the suspension of all commercial and financial transactions with it, and the freezing of the country's assets in ECOWAS Central Banks.

The bloc gave Niger's coup leaders one week to reinstate the detained president, or the community would use "all measures," including military, to "restore order" in the African nation.

On their part, the military governments of Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger's neighbors, warned that any military intervention against Niger would be considered a declaration of war against them.