The military junta of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are totally changing the game of governance in Africa because think about it since they came on the scene, they have done things differently. From kicking France out, defying sanctions and standing against neo-colonialism these guys have been shaking things up. But what’s got everyone talking is the historic moment they made on September 16th, 2023, by forming the first-ever NATO-style alliance in Africa. The news was announced by Assimi Goita, the military junta of Mali, on X. “I have today signed with the Heads of State of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, to establish a collective defense and mutual assistance framework for the benefit of our populations”, he wrote.
This sensational news comes after the military juntas of Mali and Burkina Faso threatened war against any military intervention in Niger by ECOWAS.
Now, this alliance is not a regional bloc like ECOWAS or a grouping like the African Union. It is completely different. As we said, NATO-style. So, how is it a NATO-style alliance?

If you check Article 6 of the alliance document, you will discover that it is much like Article 5 of the NATO alliance document, and it says that any attack on one or more signatory states will be considered an attack on all signatories. In its own words, the four-page alliance document states that the basis of the alliance is “the need to continue the heroic struggles waged by the African people and countries for political independence, human dignity, and economic emancipation”, and so, “Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties,” Just look at those words, isn’t it magnificent? So, this means that in the same way, NATO is fighting on behalf of Ukraine against Russia, the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS), will also fight against anyone who is a threat to their member countries.

But that’s not all the alliance is about. Aside from fighting external threats, the hich has plagued the Sahel region for years. You will find this under Article 4 of the alliance document. Now, talking about an alliance to fight against terrorism, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have formerly been members of the France-supported G5 Sahel alliance joint forcalliance was also formed to combine the resources of these countries to fight against terrorism we with Chad and Mauritania, launched in 2017 to tackle extremists in the region. The insurgency crisis erupted in northern Mali in 2012 and spread to Niger and Burkina Faso in 2015. But, as you know, Mali had a coup in 2020, and guess what happened next? Mali left the organization and since Mali left the organization has been dormant.

So, what does this alliance mean for France, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger?

Well, for France, if you have been following the news you would know that the relationship between France and these three countries has deteriorated. Following the coup in Mali and Burkina Faso, the French forces were kicked out and the ambassador was told to leave. Mali even went further to remove French as the official language of the country. Niger is also not left out, immediately after the coup, the defense pact with France was ended and the military junta together with the people of Niger are demanding the withdrawal of France from the country. So, this alliance even gives more power to the three countries and the only way they would want to ally with France would be based on equal partnership.

While the alliance protects Niger from ECOWAS’s threats of military as well as would help combat the insurgency crisis in the country, Mali stands to benefit the most from the alliance in the immediate future. In addition to fighting terrorists linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group, Mali has seen a renewal of hostilities by mostly Tuareg armed groups in recent weeks. The rise of violent hostilities risks stretching Mali’s army to its breaking point. So, this alliance will provide the needed resources to combat the crisis situation.

Burkina Faso, on the other hand, is expected to lead the alliance under the capable hands of Ibrahim Traore, the youngest president in the world. While the ASS cannot be compared to NATO with all its resources, it is a welcome development in Africa and could serve as a starting point for the actualization of a United Africa. And, if you look at the charter agreement no clause blocks another country from becoming a member so it’s possible that other members of the dormant G5 Sahel like Chad and Mauritania could join which would mean more resources can be combined both militarily and economically.

What are your thoughts on the ASS? Is this a game-changer or just another political maneuver? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to hit that subscribe button, like this video, and share this video.