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Mali, Burkina and Niger to launch new biometric passports

Following the coups, West African countries sanctioned the juntas, aiming to push them to quickly restore civilian rule…reports Asian Lite News

Three West African countries run by military juntas will be launching a new biometric passports “in the coming days” as part of their withdrawal from the wider regional bloc Ecowas. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, whose military leaders took over power in series of coups between 2020 and 2023, announced their plan to leave the bloc in January.

Following the coups, West African countries sanctioned the juntas, aiming to push them to quickly restore civilian rule. But the three nations that now form the Alliance of Sahel States have so far resisted the calls, opting to cement their alliance.

“In the coming days, a new biometric passport of the [alliance] will be put into circulation with the aim of harmonising travel documents in our common area,” Malian junta leader Col Assimi Goïta said in a televised address on late on Sunday.

Col Goïta, who is the acting president of the Sahel alliance, spoke a day before the military governments were due to mark the first anniversary since they made a decision to create their own alliance. He said they were also planning to launch a joint service that would promote a “harmonious dissemination of information in our three states”.

Burkina Faso had earlier revealed its decision to launch a new biometric passport without the Ecowas logo. It remains unclear how the new passports will affect the travel of their nationals to other Ecowas states where they enjoyed visa-free movement as holders of a 15-nation regional passport.

In July, the junta chiefs said they were “irrevocably” turning their backs on Ecowas. They said they wanted to build a community of sovereign peoples based on African values and “far from the control of foreign powers”.

The latest announcement comes as Ecowas is engaged in efforts to get the three Sahel nations to return to the bloc. Ecowas recently warned that formalisation of the breakaway group posed a risk of regional disintegration and worsened insecurity.

The three countries created the Sahel alliance last year to boost military co-operation. In July they formed a confederation to broaden the nature of their work together beyond security.

The Sahel region has been battling jihadist violence for decades, which is estimated to have killed thousands and displaced millions across the region. Tackling the insurgency is one of the reasons that the military leaders gave for the takeovers, although they have so far failed to quell the violence. The three military-led countries have all expelled French soldiers who were there helping to fight jihadist groups and turned towards Russia for military assistance.

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Mali, Niger, Burkina sign mutual defense pact

The Liptako-Gourma region — where the Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger borders meet — has been ravaged by terrorism in recent years…reports Asian Lite News

The military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger on Saturday signed a mutual defense pact, ministerial delegations from the three Sahel countries announced in Mali’s capital Bamako.

The Liptako-Gourma Charter establishes the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Mali’s junta leader Assimi Goita posted on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter.

Its aim is to “establish an architecture of collective defense and mutual assistance for the benefit of our populations,” he wrote.

The Liptako-Gourma region — where the Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger borders meet — has been ravaged by terrorism in recent years.

“This alliance will be a combination of military and economic efforts between the three countries,” Mali’s Defense Minister Abdoulaye Diop told journalists.

“Our priority is the fight against terrorism in the three countries.”

A terrorist insurgency that erupted in northern Mali in 2012 spread to Niger and Burkina Faso in 2015.

All three countries have undergone coups since 2020, most recently Niger, where soldiers in July overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has threatened to intervene militarily in Niger over the coup.

Mali and Burkina Faso quickly responded by saying that any such operation would be deemed a “declaration of war” against them.

The charter signed on Saturday binds the signatories to assist one another — including militarily — in the event of an attack on any one of them.

“Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracting parties shall be considered as an aggression against the other parties and shall give rise to a duty of assistance… including the use of armed force to restore and ensure security,” it states.

It also binds the three countries to work to prevent or settle armed rebellions.

Mali has, in addition to fighting terrorists linked to Al Qaeda and the Daesh group, seen a resumption of hostilities by predominantly Tuareg armed groups over the past week.

The escalation risks testing an already stretched army as well as the junta’s claims that it has successfully turned around a dire security situation.

The successionist groups had in 2012 launched a rebellion before signing a peace agreement with the state in 2015. But that accord is now generally considered moribund.

‘French envoy being held hostage’

French President Emmanuel Macron aid that the French Ambassador to Niger and other French diplomats are “literally being held hostage at the French Embassy,” reported CNN. 

France has been at odds with Niger’s new military leadership, after France’s refusal to accept the July 26 coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum, a French ally. French President Emmanuel Macron has continued to support Bazoum, who is still being held.

During Macron’s visit to the Golden Coast region in France, Macron said the embassy in Niamey is not getting food delivered to them.

“Food was prevented from being delivered” to the embassy in Niamey, and the ambassador was “eating military rations,” he said.

Macron further said that the French Ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte “cannot go out”, according to CNN.

Reportedly, the military junta ordered Itte to leave the country as soon as they seized control of the West African country in July.

However, later on, it revoked his visa and asked police to expel him, reported CNN.

According to Macron, he remained in place and the French authorities reiterated that they do not recognize the junta authorities, according to CNN.

When asked about bringing the ambassador back to France, Macron said that, “

Asked if he would work on bringing the ambassador back home, Macron emphasized “I will do whatever we agree on with President Mohamed Bazoum because he is the legitimate authority and I speak with him every day.”

Moreover, Itte is still working, according to French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, reported CNN.

Colonna in an interview said, “The ambassador is working, I can confirm that, and he is very useful through his contacts, his team, there is still a small team with him,” CNN reported.

She further said that Itte “will stay as long as we want him to stay” and his return will depend on Macron’s decision.

However, France is reportedly in discussions with the military of Niger over the possible withdrawal of its troops from the West African country due to the deterioration of relations following a coup in July, Al Jazeera reported citing French media reports.

Nicolas Normand, a former French ambassador to Mali and Senegal, confirmed the information to Al Jazeera, stating that, in accordance with his sources, negotiations to “partially” evacuate soldiers between the French and Niger forces were in progress.

The discussions between the two militaries, according to Normand’s source, should not be seen as a recognition of the coup leaders but rather as a “technical” discussion.

Thousands of people rallied for days in the capital Niamey in support of the new regime’s uncompromising attitude against the former colonial power and the coup leaders’ call for the French ambassador and military to leave Niger. 

ALSO READ-Russia vetoes UNSC resolution on sanctions against Mali

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Russia vetoes UNSC resolution on sanctions against Mali

In a letter sent to Security Council members earlier this month, Mali asked the council to terminate the sanctions regime — travel ban and asset freeze…reports Asian Lite News

Russia has vetoed a Security Council draft resolution that would have renewed the Mali sanctions regime. The draft resolution, tabled by France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), won 13 votes in favour on Wednesday. However, Russia voted against it while China abstained.

A competing draft resolution tabled by Russia failed to win enough votes in favour for its adoption. To be adopted, a Security Council resolution needs nine votes in favour and no veto from any of the five permanent members of the council — the US, France, the UK, Russia and China.

After the vote on the draft resolution tabled by France and the UAE, Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that his country had to cast a veto because the draft did not take into consideration Mali’s concerns and the Russian position.

In a letter sent to Security Council members earlier this month, Mali asked the council to terminate the sanctions regime — travel ban and asset freeze.

Before the vote on the Russian-drafted text, Nebenzia ruled out a return of the sanctions regime if Russia’s draft was not adopted. “So please do heed our words and vote in favour of this (Russian) draft,” he said. “If this is not adopted, then there is no coming back to discussing any further resolution on this matter.”

The US representative said earlier that his country was committed to working with other Security Council members “to achieve a mandate renewal”.

The Security Council established the sanctions regime, targeting individuals and entities engaged in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Mali, in September 2017.

The council had renewed the Mali sanctions regime several times. The mandate for the regime expires on August 31, 2023.

ALSO READ-UN urges timely task transfer for Mali withdrawal

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UN urges timely task transfer for Mali withdrawal

The target is for the entire mission to be out of the country by December 31, following a June UN Security Council resolution honouring Bamoko’s request for the mission’s standdown…reports Asian Lite News

The UN peacekeeping chief has urged the mission in Mali to speedily transfer tasks to authorities and partners for a safe withdrawal from the country, a UN spokesman said.

“Jean-Pierre Lacroix has concluded his visit to the country, after a series of meetings with senior officials from the transitional government, including Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga,” said Stephane Dujarric, Chief Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Monday, at the end of Lacroix’s two-day visit.

Dujarric said Lacroix discussed lessons learned during the first phase of the mission’s withdrawal, expected to be completed by month’s end, Xinhua news agency reported.

Last week, members of the mission, known as MINUSMA, pulled back from a few of their smaller bases in the northern Timbuktu region, peacekeepers reported.

The target is for the entire mission to be out of the country by December 31, following a June UN Security Council resolution honouring Bamoko’s request for the mission’s standdown.

The UN spokesman said Lacroix thanked authorities for their cooperation, adding that it “is critical to ensuring a safe and orderly withdrawal in a tight timeframe and challenging environment”. The peacekeeping chief urged continued progress on the transfer of tasks from the mission not only to the Malian authorities but also to the UN country team and other partners.

The Security Council mandated MINUSMA in 2013, which has proved to be one of the deadliest UN missions, with more than 300 peacekeepers killed in the line of duty as of June 30 this year.

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France and EU announce military withdrawal from Mali

Tensions have grown between Mali, its African neighbours, and the European Union, especially after the West African country’s transitional government allowed Russian mercenaries to deploy in its territory…reports Asian Lite News

President Emmanuel Macron says France will withdraw its troops from Mali but maintain a military presence in neighbouring West African nations.

Announcing the move during a Thursday news conference in Paris, Macron said, “We cannot remain militarily involved alongside Malian transitional authorities with whom we don’t share the strategy and goals.”

 France has about 4,300 troops in the Sahel region, including 2,400 in Mali. The so-called Barkhane force is also involved in Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania.

European leaders simultaneously announced Thursday that troops from the European-led military task force known as Takuba also would withdraw from Mali. The Takuba task force is composed of several hundred special forces troops from about a dozen European countries, including France.

Tensions have grown between Mali, its African neighbours, and the European Union, especially after the West African country’s transitional government allowed Russian mercenaries to deploy in its territory.

French forces have been active since 2013 in Mali, where they intervened to drive Islamic extremists from power. But the insurgents regrouped in the desert and began attacking the Malian army and its allies.

Macron said support for civilians in Mali would continue, but he blamed the junta now ruling the country for its decision to hire a private Russian military contractor known as the Wagner Group that the EU accuses of fomenting violence and committing human rights abuses in Africa.

Macron said a coalition of allies will remain present in Sahel and the Guinea Gulf to counter actions from Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. He said the fight against terrorism in the region requires “steadiness and tenacity.”

 The announcements followed Macron’s Wednesday night meeting with African and European leaders involved in the fight against Islamic extremists in the Sahel region. The Mali and Burkina Faso coup leaders were not invited since both nations were suspended from the African Union.

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Mali Slams ECOWAS sanctions

Mali government calls ECOWAS sanctions 'inhumane, unfortunate'

Mali reserves the right to respond to the “inhumane and unfortunate sanctions” taken by the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS)…reports Asian Lite News

Mali has decided to “recall its accredited Ambassadors” in other ECOWAS member states and to close “its land and air borders” with the states concerned on the basis of reciprocity, Xinhua news agency quoted spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga as saying in a live broadcast.

The government of Mali deplores the “inhumane” nature of these measures, which “affect the populations already severely affected” by security and health crises, in particular that of Covid-19, Maiga said, vowing steps to respond to these “unfortunate, illegal and illegitimate” sanctions, which were announced on Sunday at the conclusion of an ECOWAS extraordinary summit in Accra, Ghana.

The sanctions include the immediate withdrawal of ambassadors of all other ECOWAS member states from Mali; closure of land and air borders; suspension of all financial and economic transactions, with the exception of essential consumer goods, according to a communique issued after the meeting.

Maiga said the measures were in “contrast with the efforts made by the government and its readiness for dialogue with a view to reaching a compromise with ECOWAS on the timing of the elections in Mali”.

He called for “calm and restraint” among the Malian people, adding that “steps have been taken to ensure the normal supply of the country by all appropriate means”.

ALSO READ: ECOWAS announces ‘harsher’ sanctions in Mali

The ECOWAS leadership said the sanctions were taken because the proposed chronogram by the Malian transitional authorities that set the duration of the transition for a total of five and a half years is “totally unacceptable”.

The sanctions excluded the supply of pharmaceutical and medical supplies, including materials needed for the control of Covid-19, petroleum products, and electricity.

All ECOWAS institutions are instructed to take steps to implement the sanctions with immediate effect.

ECOWAS has 15 member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

Last November, ECOWAS imposed sanctions on the Malian transitional authorities in response to their claim of inability to meet the transition deadline of February 2022 for holding elections, including a travel ban and a freeze on financial assets.

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ECOWAS announces ‘harsher’ sanctions in Mali

The leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced a flurry of ‘harsher’ sanctions on Mali…reports Asian Lite News

Leaders of ECOWAS gathered in an extraordinary summit to deliberate on the situation in Mali, Xinhua news agency reported.

In the communique after the summit, the regional body said the proposed chronogram by the Malian transitional authorities that set the duration of the transition for a total of five and a half years is “totally unacceptable.”

The communique said all ECOWAS member states would immediately withdraw their ambassadors from Mali.

“The other sanctions include the closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Mali, the suspension of all financial and economic transactions between ECOWAS member states and Mali, with the exception of essential consumer goods,” said the communique.

The sanctions specifically excluded the supply of pharmaceutical and medical supplies, including materials needed for the control of Covid-19, petroleum products, and electricity.

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ECOWAS instructed the freeze of all assets of Mali in the ECOWAS central bank, a freeze of assets of the Malian state, state enterprises, and parastatals in commercial banks, and the suspension of Mali from all financial assistance and transactions from all financial institutions.

The ECOWAS authority instructed all community institutions to take steps to implement the sanctions with immediate effect.

“The sanctions will be gradually lifted only after an acceptable and agreed chronogram is finalized and monitored satisfactory progress is realized in the implementation of the chronogram for the elections,” the communique added.

ECOWAS explained that the sanctions were necessary to facilitate the process of the return to constitutional rule in Mali, which is necessary for peace, stability, and growth as well as to protect the populations.

Last November, ECOWAS imposed sanctions on the Malian transitional authorities in response to their claim of inability to meet the transition deadline of February 2022 for holding elections, including a travel ban and a freeze on financial assets.

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Terrorist attack claims dozens of lives in central Mali

A terrorist attack at Songho Gare, a small town between Sevare and Bandiagara in central Mali, claimed dozens of lives…reports Asian Lite News

According to witnesses, the terrorists attacked a bus heading to the Bandiagara fair, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The vehicle was set on fire, costing the lives of at least 33 people,” said a local official on Friday who requested anonymity.

Terrorist attack claims dozens of lives in central Mali

“The vehicle was attacked by terrorists who first murdered the driver before closing the vehicle and setting it ablaze with its passengers inside,” he said.

Witnesses also confirmed seven wounded, four seriously injured and dozens missing, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Malian government has not released any official statements about the deadly attack yet.

Located about 10 km from the city of Bandiagara, the Songho Gare bridge has been frequently sabotaged by terrorists to cut this part of Mali from the rest of the country.

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Since 2012, Mali has been facing a deep and multifaceted serious security, political and economic crisis. Independence insurrections, jihadist incursions and inter-communal violence have caused thousands of deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands of people despite the presence of UN, French and European forces.