... trio has on many occasions pointed to the key reasons behind their collective actions: the failure of the AU and ECOWAS to provide adequate support in the fight against jihadists; “illegal sanctions” that harm the people of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger; and ECOWAS’s unwillingness and/or inability to break free from Western influence. In other words, this integration is driven not only by the desire for collective security, but also by the pushback to the former colonial ruler, France (with which the trio ...
... other things without which any cooperation is doomed to lose its pragmatism and momentum. Moreover, Niger’s presence in the Alliance forms the basis for a minimum necessary pluralism that can have an important demonstration effect in the region: while ECOWAS’s position is largely determined by Nigeria as the region’s largest state, the Alliance already has the prerequisites for a more equal dialogue.
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At present, the Alliance of Sahel States is just in its infancy. Even so, it has already generated considerable expectations not just in ...
..., as well as other major powers. Some of their leaders and representatives took part in the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, where President Macron was not invited despite his insistence. The reserved attitude towards the possibility of the invasion of Niger by the ECOWAS countries for several weeks already shows that internal considerations and regional stability play a much more significant role in their strategy than the demands and oddities of Paris.
No matter how the situation around Niger itself develops in ...