In Burkina Faso, Transition lawmakers unanimously voted on Tuesday in favor of sending Burkinabe soldiers to Niger. The bill had already been adopted in the Council of Ministers on August 30, 2023.
The Transitional Legislative Assembly in Burkina Faso voted on Tuesday, September 19, for a law authorizing the deployment of a Burkinabe military contingent to neighboring Niger for “renewable three-month” periods. The law, proposed by the transitional government, was approved unanimously by the 71 members of the Assembly and establishes the deployment of a military contingent for “renewable three-month” periods.
It “provides a legal framework for the deployment of a Burkinabe military contingent to Niger, with the mission of providing military assistance to the Republic of Niger in the event of aggression or destabilization by an external army, but also to combat terrorism,” said Burkinabe Minister of Defense, Colonel Major Kassoum Coulibaly. The adoption of the law allows Burkina Faso to “have bases” in Niger “to combat terrorist groups that often take refuge there after carrying out attacks on our territory,” explained Mr. Coulibaly.
“In case of aggression” Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali share the so-called “three borders” area, where jihadist groups frequently carry out attacks. These three countries, led by military regimes, signed a charter in Bamako on Saturday establishing a “collective defense and mutual assistance” alliance, creating the Sahel States Alliance (AES).
Niger, where a coup d’état toppled elected President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, is threatened with military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which seeks the restoration of constitutional order.
