Three junta-ruled countries in Africa’s Sahel region will join forces to create a 5,000-strong unit to fight the jihadist violence that has for years plagued the nations, officials said on Tuesday.
Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali will create a “unified force” within weeks, Niger’s defence minister said. The three nations are former French colonies where the military deposed civilian administrations in putsches between 2020 and 2023.
Following the coups, the three countries distanced themselves from France and last year formed a confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). “In this common space, our forces will be able to intervene together“, Niger Defence Minister Salifou Mody said in a televised interview, adding that the 5,000-strong force was “nearly ready”.
Source: africanews.com
