Niger: The governments of Mali and Burkina Faso call for solidarity and mobilization in the name of Pan-Africanism.

The governments of Mali and Burkina Faso have reaffirmed their unwavering support for Niger, a neighboring country currently facing political turmoil. This announcement comes after the conclusions of extraordinary summits held by ECOWAS and WAEMU on July 30, 2023, in Abuja. According to the governments of Burkina Faso and Mali, their position is primarily motivated by Pan-African solidarity towards Niger.

The governments of both brotherly countries firmly refuse to apply sanctions they consider illegal, illegitimate, and inhumane towards Niger.

Furthermore, Burkina Faso and Mali have warned that any military intervention against Niger would be considered a declaration of war against them.

They have also stated that any military action by ECOWAS against Niger would prompt them to withdraw from this regional organization.

The governments of Mali and Burkina Faso condemn the punitive approach adopted by ECOWAS and WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union) which they believe only exacerbates the suffering of the people and jeopardizes the spirit of Pan-Africanism.

They have also expressed concern about the potentially disastrous consequences of a military intervention in Niger.

They warned that it could destabilize the entire region, as was the case with NATO’s unilateral intervention in Libya, which led to the expansion of terrorism in the Sahel and West Africa.

Diallo Damba