Challenges Facing Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger’s New Military Alliance
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have exited Ecowas, forming a new military alliance to combat rising extremist violence. However, they face deep-rooted issues such as poverty, high unemployment, and strained relations with neighboring countries. Their newly established joint military force encounters significant challenges in funding and maintaining operations, and there are concerns over potential human rights violations. Overall, the outlook for improved stability in the region remains bleak.
On January 29, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger officially exited the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), having previously announced their departure one year prior. This decision came in the wake of their establishment of a new defense alliance known as the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES). While Ecowas has indicated a willingness to maintain ties, tensions persist between the AES and neighboring countries.
The recent coups in the Sahel, starting in 2020, arose from dissatisfaction with democratically elected governments’ failure to effectively manage rising insecurity. Jihadist factions such as Jama’at Nusrat-al Islam wal Muslimin and the Islamic State have actively sought to extend their influence over regional territories. Notably, the security situation has deteriorated since the military takeovers, resulting in over 8,000 fatalities in Burkina Faso alone in 2023, with millions displaced across the three nations.
In response to these security challenges, the AES has formulated a joint military force comprising 5,000 troops, with deployment anticipated shortly. Niger’s Defense Minister, Salifou Mody, stated, “The Alliance of Sahel States is our passport to security.” Nonetheless, the likelihood of this force achieving its objectives remains low due to multiple persisting issues.
The Sahel faces entrenched problems such as high unemployment, inequality, poor governance, and environmental issues. These systemic factors lead to discontent among youth, making recruitment by extremist groups easier. Additionally, military efforts frequently overlook the underlying causes of insecurity, and the AES forces are marred by a history of human rights violations, eroding potential public trust further.
Maintaining the joint force will pose logistical and financial hurdles as operations in swampy Sahelian terrain require specific, expensive equipment alongside continuous training. The AES nations, grappling with poverty rates exceeding 40%, struggle with logistics given their limited financial resources. For instance, per capita GDP figures highlight the economic challenges, with Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso far below the global average.
The withdrawal from Ecowas exacerbates the economic implications for the AES states, which heavily relied on regional integration. In 2022, over half of Mali’s imports originated from Ecowas nations, while Burkina Faso and Niger also depended significantly on regional trade. Consequently, this departure complicates their economic landscape, amidst rising inflation and trade disputes with neighbors like Benin.
Tensions between military leaders of the AES states and other West African nations have escalated, complicating diplomatic relations. Recent accusations by Niger’s military leader against Nigeria for alleged collaboration with France illustrate these growing rifts. Given these complexities, the prospect for the AES joint force to stabilize the region appears remote, and reliance on external actors like Russian mercenaries may increase as desperation grows.
Such reliance could lead to heightened strategic competition in the Sahel, undermining peace, security, and stability rather than fostering it. The AES military leaders’ potential collaboration with groups like the Russian Africa Corps signals a troubling trend in the ongoing struggle against jihadist violence.
The Sahel region has been increasingly unstable, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, primarily due to recent military coups initiated by dissatisfaction with existing governments’ inability to control extremist violence. This area has been plagued by jihadist groups attempting to gain territorial control, resulting in significant casualties and mass displacements of the population. Establishing a joint military force by the AES reflects an urgent response to increasing insecurity, though underlying issues such as poverty, unemployment, and governance continue to pose severe challenges.
In summary, the military withdrawal from Ecowas and the creation of a joint AES military force highlight the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel. However, prospects for success are diminished by a lack of resources, public support, and persistent human rights issues. As tensions rise both regionally and internationally, the potential for lasting stability appears increasingly elusive.
Original Source: allafrica.com
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