After the juntas of both nations agreed to a mutual defence treaty on Saturday, Bamako’s top diplomat warned the UN that Mali “will not stand idly by” if other governments intervene in neighbouring Niger.
The democratically elected president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, was overthrown by rebel elite soldiers on July 26 and is currently being held at home with his family.
The leaders of the coup have been warned by the West African regional group ECOWAS that if diplomatic pressure to restore the democratically elected Bazoum fails, there may be a military response.
The military heads of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, who all took office through coups since 2020, inked a defence agreement this week that calls for cooperation in the event of an assault.
Speaking on behalf of the Malian junta at the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said, “Mali remains strongly opposed to any military intervention by ECOWAS.”
“Any invasion of this nation poses a direct threat to not only the peace and security of Mali but also to that of the surrounding area, and it will unavoidably have negative repercussions. We won’t just watch,” he declared.
The Mali junta has prioritised sovereignty, stopped working with France and its partners to combat jihadism, and changed its military and political allegiance to Russia.
At the General Assembly, Diop reiterated his condemnation of Paris and its “neo-colonial domination,” while also making “special mention” of Russia’s “active solidarity and reliable commitment both bilaterally and multilaterally.”
The MINUSMA UN peacekeeping operation, which was scheduled to terminate its hastened pullout by the end of the year, has also been pushed out of Bamako.
The minister declared, “The Republic of Mali administration has no intention of extending this date.
Concerns over the impoverished region, which is struggling with jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, have increased due to the Sahel’s unrest.
Mali has been dealing with a security, humanitarian, and political crisis since 2012 as well as the spread of jihadism.
The ongoing evacuation of MINUSMA coincides with the resumption of hostilities in the nation’s north.
According to Diop, “the government reassures the Malian people and the international community that all necessary steps have been taken to ensure the continuity of state services after the departure of the MINUSMA.”
“The Republic of Mali’s government is more determined than ever to exercise its sovereignty and assert its authority throughout the national territory.”
