The importance of the timing of the visit is clarified by experts who spoke to “Sky News Arabia” regarding the realization of “G5” members of the necessity of Bamako’s return to the group that was originally established in 2014 to confront terrorism after its spread in Mali, and the fear of its expansion to neighboring countries.
“It is a great honor for Mali to welcome my brother, President Paul-Henri Sandaugo Damiba,” Gueta wrote on his Twitter account.
The presidency in Ouagadougou commented that “Burkina Faso and Mali, which are linked by geography and history, intend to strengthen their cooperation to achieve better success in the fight against terrorism.”
The effect of financial withdrawal
• The two presidents’ talks include Mali’s return to the Group of Five Sahel nations, days after the Nigerian Defense Ministers, Al-Qasim Ndato and the Burkinabe, Barthelemy Sembore, called on Mali to return to the group’s joint military force to combat terrorism.
• Bamako announced last May its withdrawal from the group and its military force for combating terrorism, in protest against the group’s refusal to assume its presidency, and hinted at the time that the group was invoking the internal situation, while it was doing so to “financial isolation” in coordination with a country outside the region, while It seems a reference to France.
• The withdrawal led to poor coordination between the five countries (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania and Chad) in combating terrorist groups, which took advantage of this to increase their attacks on border areas, and even expansion in internal cities.
Return Terms
Regarding his assessment of the visit, Mohamed Ag Ismail, a researcher in African affairs at the University of Bamako, said that the “G5” group was established to confront the security crisis in Mali, and “the fight against terrorism cannot succeed without Bamako,” according to his opinion, citing the state of “complete paralysis” in the country. The performance of the group after its withdrawal.
Regarding what Burkina Faso will offer Mali to persuade it to return, Ag Ismail believes that “it is difficult to return Bamako unless its legitimate demands are achieved, including its right to chair the group, and limit the control of a non-member state in its decisions.”
For his part, the French analyst specializing in the Sahel region, Gauthier Baskett, believes that Mali also needs the “G5” group after the increase in terrorist attacks, which they realized that Bamako alone could not confront.
verbal consent
According to preliminary information, Gueta gave verbal approval for his country’s return to the “G5”, and this was the highlight of the visit, according to Baskett.
“The security situation on the borders between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso indicates to these countries the need to cooperate, if they want to defeat terrorism,” the French analyst continues.
Tightening bilateral cooperation between the two countries may be a temporary alternative until Mali returns to the G5. In this regard, Togolese political analyst Mohamed Madi Gabkati says that the main objective of the visit is bilateral cooperation.
The most active terrorist groups in the border triangle are Al-Qaeda’s Support for Islam and Muslims, and Daesh in the Greater Sahara, the Daesh branch.
In 2021, the Sahel region witnessed 2,612 terrorist attacks and violent incidents, according to a study by the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
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