The governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic have resolved to constitute a joint force to tackle Islamist terrorist groups in the three countries.
Niger Republic’s Chief of Staff, Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, said during a televised broadcast that the force should be “ready for action as soon as possible.
He said: “The aim was to work together to overcome the security challenges facing the three countries.”
Barmou stated further that the new anti-terrorist task force would be integrated into a joint defence alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
He however did not reveal any further details on the plan.
In September 2023, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formed the AES.
The three countries are in the Sahel region in the southern Sahara and have been set back for years by Islamist terrorist groups that unleash bloody attacks on civilians and increasingly dominate territory.
The military has been in power in Niger Republic since July last year.
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The three countries have severed ties with the former colonial power France, which previously offered military aid.
