BAMAKO, Mali: Over the weekend, junta leaders from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger signed a mutual defense pact known as the Liptako-Gourma Charter, forming the Alliance of Sahel States, named after the region where their borders converge.
Col. Assimi Goita, Mali’s junta leader, said in a statement, “I signed today with the heads of state of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma Charter, establishing the Alliance of Sahel States with the objective of establishing an architecture of collective defense and assistance mutual for the benefit of our populations.”
The fresh agreement stipulates that the trio of adjacent nations will mutually support one another in the face of challenges. They are collectively contending with jihadist threats and have individually experienced coups since 2020.
