Dina Mahmoud (London)
The announcement by Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to form a joint military force to combat terrorism and extremist groups in the Sahel region was the launch of a different approach in dealing with the security threats that this region in West Africa is full of, which over the past few years has become one of the main strongholds of terrorist organizations. In the whole world.
The step that the three countries unveiled at the end of the first week of this month through their army commanders represents a departure from the previous approach, in which the countries of the region relied on external support to deal with the terrorist groups active in them, and whose attacks led to this being witnessed. Part of the African continent, approximately 43% of the number of victims of terrorism at the international level.
Experts and analysts confirm that the formation of this force, which the officials of the participating countries said would begin its work as soon as possible, opens the door for the countries of the “African Sahel” to play their role and take the lead in the campaign against the terrorism they are suffering from, and to also enjoy a greater degree of independence. In this regard.
It is estimated that the attacks launched by terrorist organizations in the common border region between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, over the course of a few years, killed more than 20,000 people and displaced nearly 4.2 million others.
At the same time, the announcement of the formation of this joint force reflects the acceleration of the pace of cooperation between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which had previously launched, last September, a regional bloc called the “Coalition of Sahel States,” and also decided, in late January of this year, to withdraw from The Economic Community of West African States, known as ECOWAS.
Upon its withdrawal from the group, these countries accused ECOWAS of failing to provide support to it in its war against Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and the terrorist groups emanating from them.
On the other hand, the fact that the three countries are moving forward on the path of unifying the efforts of their armies to combat terrorism confirms the existence of a consensus in decision-making circles in various countries in the Sahel region on the danger of extremist organizations and organized crime gangs involved in many illegal activities there, including This includes arms smuggling and human trafficking.
Deep-rooted problem
In statements published by the “Atlayar” electronic news website, experts considered that the lack of sufficient financial resources prompted African countries to resort to bartering their natural resources in order to obtain the weapons they need in their war against terrorism, especially since it has become a “rooted problem” in the region. The Sahel, which extends over an area of approximately six thousand kilometers, is distributed among 10 African countries, inhabited by more than 150 million people.
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