Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey have signed the Liptako-Gourma Charter on Saturday, September 16. Signed by the heads of the three juntas, the text is intended to create a new entity: the Alliance of Sahel States, with the goal of establishing systems of collective defense and mutual assistance.
The military regimes of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger signed a charter on Saturday establishing a defensive alliance, announced ministerial delegations from the three countries in Bamako, the capital of Mali. This “Liptako-Gourma Charter” creates the “Alliance of Sahel States” (AES), said Assimi Goita, the head of Mali’s junta, on X (formerly Twitter). Its purpose is “to establish a framework for collective defense and mutual assistance,” he emphasized.
Article 6 of the charter states that “any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracting parties shall be considered an aggression against the other parties and shall entail a duty of assistance and relief from all parties, individually or collectively, including the use of armed force to restore and ensure security within the territory covered by the Alliance.”
Since the coup on July 26 in Niger, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has maintained a consistent position: the military authorities must “immediately restore constitutional order” by releasing the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum and reinstating him in his functions. The West African organization has repeatedly threatened military intervention and imposed heavy economic sanctions on Niger.
However, neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali argue that a military operation against their countries would be an “illegal and senseless aggression” and have promised an “immediate response” to any aggression. “This alliance will be a combination of military and economic efforts between the three countries,” said Mali’s Defense Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, to reporters. “Our priority is the fight against terrorism in all three countries,” he added.
The Liptako-Gourma region, bordering Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has been ravaged by jihadism in recent years. Neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, both led by military regimes that came to power through coups in 2020 and 2022, quickly expressed solidarity with the generals in Niamey after the coup on July 26. They remain uncompromising and have held the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum prisoner since July 26, whom they plan to prosecute for “high treason.” In Niger, more than ten jihadist attacks have killed over a hundred people, including half of them civilians, since July 26. The “Sahel Alliance” includes several countries and international institutions such as France, Germany, or the United States, which have suspended their aid programs to Niger.
