Mali and Burkina Faso to Send Delegation to Coup-Hit Niger

 

Mali and Burkina Faso to Send Joint Delegation in Solidarity with Coup-Hit Niger

On Monday, the Malian army announced the dispatch of a joint official delegation from Mali and Burkina Faso to Niamey, Niger's capital, in a show of "solidarity" with the country. Niger experienced a military coup at the end of July and is now facing the possibility of a West African military intervention.

The delegation, led by Malian minister Abdoulaye Maïga, a key figure in the Malian junta, is heading to Niger to express solidarity with the brotherly people of the country, as stated by the Malian army on social media. The delegation is expected to arrive in Niger on Monday, according to the Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This announcement comes just after the expiration of the ultimatum set by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday midnight, demanding that the Nigerien soldiers restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. ECOWAS had threatened to use force if the deadline was not met.

Both Mali and Burkina Faso, countries where military forces have also seized power through force in 2020 and 2022 respectively, issued a joint statement warning that they would consider any intervention in Niger a "declaration of war."