Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have announced their intention to establish a unified force to combat jihadist threats within their respective nations.
Niger’s army chief, Moussa Salaou Barmou, declared that the joint force would become operational as soon as possible, although he did not provide specifics regarding its size.
He made this announcement during a televised address on Wednesday following discussions held in the capital city of Niamey.
Various groups affiliated with both Islamic State and al-Qaeda have been responsible for numerous casualties in the region over the past year.
In recent months, the military administrations of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have forged closer ties and formed a mutual defense pact called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) last September.
This move led to their withdrawal from the international force known as G5, which was established to combat Islamist extremism in the region.
Despite assurances from the military governments to address the decade-long conflict with jihadist groups, violence in West Africa’s Sahel region has escalated in recent years.
All three countries have severed their relationships with France, their former colonial power, which had maintained a significant military presence across the Sahel for many years.
Additionally, Mali’s leadership ordered the UN peacekeeping mission, Minusma, to withdraw “without delay,” which was completed in December after over a decade of deployment.
The military governments have deepened their connections with Russia, which has stepped in to occupy the vacuum left behind.
Additionally, they have declared their withdrawal from the West African economic bloc Ecowas.
Previously suspended from the bloc, the military administrations have faced pressure from Ecowas to swiftly transition back to democratic governance, resulting in the imposition of travel and economic sanctions.
However, some of these sanctions were recently lifted or relaxed as Ecowas advocated for dialogue.