Sahel: Towards the imminent death of the G5 Sahel
Faced with insecurity in the Sahel, the five states of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania and Chad set up the G5 Sahel on 19 December 2014 with the aim of pooling their capacities and resources to make the Sahel an area of security and development. But after nearly 9 years, the organisation is struggling to achieve its objectives.
In response, the governments of Burkina Faso and Niger issued a joint statement on Saturday announcing their withdrawal from the G5 Sahel.
«The transitional governments of Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger, after an in-depth examination of the G5 Sahel and the functioning of this organisation, have decided in full sovereignty to withdraw Burkina Faso and Niger from all G5 Sahel bodies and organs, including the Joint Force, with effect from 29 November 2023», the spokespersons of the two governments wrote in a joint statement.
According to the governments of the two countries, the legitimate ambitions of the States to make the G5 Sahel a zone of security and development are being thwarted by institutional red tape that is trying to convince them that the path of independence and dignity to which they are committed is contrary to participation in the G5 Sahel, in its current form.
As well as criticising the way it operates, Burkina Faso and Niger also point the finger at the alliance’s European backers.
«In the common understanding of our two States, the G5 Sahel cannot serve foreign interests to the detriment of those of the peoples of the Sahel, still less accept the diktat of any power whatsoever in the name of a misguided and infantilising partnership that denies the right to sovereignty of our peoples and our States», they explained.
On 15 May 2022, Mali’s transitional government decided to withdraw from all G5 Sahel bodies, including the joint force. Mali also condemned the organisation for being «manipulated by outsiders».
The transitional governments of Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger, committed to the fight against terrorism and cross-border crime, as well as to development, intend to maintain their dynamic cooperation within the alliance, to make this space one of sovereignty assumed by the reconquest of their territories, and of the restoration of peace and security, the guarantee of development for the Sahel states.
The withdrawal of these two countries, added to that of Mali, seems to herald the imminent death of this international alliance, symbolising once again the massive rejection of the French presence in the region.
Neil Camara
