From left, Niger Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare, Mali's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean Marie Traore attend a joint news conference following a meeting of Russian foreign Minister with foreign Ministers of the Confederation of Sahel States in Moscow, Russia, April 3, 2025
THE alliance between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger withdrew their respective ambassadors from Algeria in response to the downing of a Malian drone last week, the group said on Sunday.
The Alliance of Sahel States, which goes by its French acronym AES, blamed Algeria on social media for the drone’s downing and condemned it as an “irresponsible act” that violated international law.
The act was “contrary to historical relations and fraternal relations between the peoples of the AES confederation and the Algerian people,” the alliance said.
NICHOLAS MWANGI highlights a historic turning point in Sahelian sovereignty, as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger bolstered their regional security through a unified military force
As the Alliance of Sahel States and southern African nations advance pan-African goals, the African Union must listen and learn rather than parroting the Western line on these positive developments, writes ROGER McKENZIE
