Mali is opposed to any intervention by foreign governments led by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS in neighbouring Niger, Bamako’s top diplomat said at UNGA on Saturday, a week after both countries’ juntas alongside Burkina Faso formed a military alliance.
“Mali remains strongly opposed to any military intervention by ECOWAS,” said Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, “Any invasion of this country constitutes a direct threat to the peace and security of Mali, but also to the peace and security of the region, and will necessarily have serious consequences.”
The military governments of Mali and Burkina Faso have pledged solidarity with Niger since democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted on July 26.
They warned that any military intervention in Niger is a “declaration of war” against them which could result in “disastrous consequences” that “could destabilise the entire region.”
Both countries, in August, dispatched warplanes to Niger in a show of support against any forceful return to democratic governance in the country.
Mali’s stance poses a quandary for ECOWAS, chaired by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.
The regional bloc has imposed sanctions on Niger, sent multiple delegations to Niamey to find a diplomatic solution and threatened the junta with military intervention to reinstate Bazoum. But in recent weeks, there has been an unusual silence from the Community as the military government holds sway.
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