Mali, Burkina Faso Say Military Intervention Against Niger Would Be War Declaration

Mali and Burkina Faso have warned that any military intervention against Niger could be a “declaration of war” against them.

The two countries’ military governments issued a joint statement on Monday, expressing solidarity with the “people of Niger, who have decided wth full responsibility to take their destiny in hand and assume the fullness of their sovereignty before history.”

The statement came in response to sanctions imposed by West African countries, who are supporting the return to power of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

The military took over Niger in a shocking coup on July 26, triggering condemnation and frustration from the international community – which has expressed concern about the already fragile situation in the country and the larger Sahel region.

In response to sanctions and intervention threats, the military governments of Burkina Faso and Mali warned that any “military intervention against Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of a war.”

They also threatened to respond to any military intervention by immediately withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The joint statement concluded by stressing that both transitional governments in Burkina Faso and Mali invite the national stakeholders in both countries to “be ready and mobilized to lend a hand to the people of Niger, in these dark hours of Pan-Africanism.”

Coup leaders in Niger have named General Abdourahmane Tchianni as a head of state, overthrowing Bazoum over alleged poor governance.

They also expressed displeasure with how Bazoum’s government tackled security threats linked to terrorism, Al Jazeera reported.

Hours following the joint Burkinabe and Malian statement, the junta in power in Guinea since September 2021 also expressed support for Niger by distancing itself from all threats and sanctions imposed by the leaders of ECOWAS.

Any sanctions against the new authorities in Niger “would not be a solution to the current problem but would rather lead to a humanitarian disaster whose consequences could extend beyond the borders of Niger,” the Guinean junta said in its statement.