Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger to set up anti-terrorist force

The military governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic have resolved to set up a joint force to fight Islamist terrorist groups in the three nations.

The Niger’s Chief of Staff, Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, said during a televised address on Wednesday night that the force should be “ready for action as soon as possible.

“The aim was to work together to overcome the security challenges facing the three countries,” he stated.

Barmou said the new anti-terrorist task force would be integrated into a joint defence alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

However, he did not provide any further details on the plan.

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formed the AES in September 2023.

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The three countries are located in the Sahel region on the southern edge of the Sahara and have been plagued for years by Islamist terrorist groups that carry out bloody attacks on civilians and increasingly control territory.

The military has been in power in Niger since July last year.

The junta seized power in Burkina Faso in 2022, and in Mali following a coup in 2021.

All three states have severed ties with the former colonial power France, which previously provided military aid.

Burkina Faso and Niger have since turned to the Russian mercenary group, Wagner, with the security situation in all three countries threatening to deteriorate significantly.

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