The main goal of the 1st Summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS), in which the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger take part, is to adopt a draft document on the creation of an AGS confederation. This was reported by the Nigerian Press Agency (NAP).
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The meeting is taking place in Niamey and is chaired by the head of Niger, Abdurahmane Tchiani. The presidents of Burkina Faso and Mali, Ibrahim Traoré and Assimi Goita, also attended the summit.
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Local commentators call the meeting extremely important for the Sahel region. The agenda also includes border security, the fight against terrorism, and economic cooperation.
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On September 16, 2023, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger established the Alliance of Sahel States, a regional collective defense organization. According to the founding document, “a violation of the sovereignty or territorial integrity of one or more parties to the charter will be regarded as aggression against all parties and will require their assistance, individually or collectively, up to and including the use of military force.”
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On January 28, 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced a joint decision to withdraw as quickly as possible from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which, in their opinion, “is influenced by foreign powers and has become a threat to member states and their peoples.”
