Nigerien General Salifou Mody recently traveled to Bamako, Mali, for meetings with Malian authorities. This trip comes as ECOWAS is considering a possible military intervention against the putschists in Niger. Salifou Mody, number 2 of the Nigerien junta, carried a message of thanks from the head of the Niger junta to the Malian president, Assimi Goïta, for his support. The general also spoke of strengthening security relations between the two countries.
This choice of travel is not trivial. Salifou Mody embodies the trend favoring rapprochement with the juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso to fight against jihadist groups. The Malian and Burkinabe juntas have also given their support to the Nigerien putschists, affirming that any military intervention would be considered a declaration of war on their countries and would lead to their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS).
This trip by the Nigerien general to Bamako raises several questions about possible collaborations and agreements between West African putschist regimes. It is also possible that Mali took advantage of this opportunity to boast of its cooperation with other partners, notably Russians.
General Salifou Mody also claimed to have had political consultations during his stay, but without giving precise details. After Mali, the Nigerien delegation will travel to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, also led by a putschist.
This trip highlights the security and political issues facing the region. The fight against terrorist groups and political instability are major challenges for these countries. Strengthening relations between juntas could be a strategy to address these common challenges.
It is important to closely follow the evolution of the situation in the region and the consequences of these rapprochements between the coup regimes. The stability and security of the region depend on it, as well as relations with international partners.
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