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Military Leaders of 3 West African Countries Sign a Security Pact


FILE - People cheer in celebration as security forces drive through the streets of the capital Bamako, Mali, Aug. 19, 2020. The military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger signed a mutual defense pact over the weekend.
FILE - People cheer in celebration as security forces drive through the streets of the capital Bamako, Mali, Aug. 19, 2020. The military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger signed a mutual defense pact over the weekend.

The military leaders of three West African countries – Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger – signed a mutual defense pact deal over the weekend.

The junta leaders signed the Liptako-Gourma Charter, establishing the Alliance of Sahel States. The pact is named after the region where the three country’s borders meet.

Col. Assimi Goita, Mali's junta leader, said in a statement, "I signed today with the heads of state of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma Charter, establishing the Alliance of Sahel States with the objective of establishing an architecture of collective defense and assistance mutual for the benefit of our populations.”

The new pact calls for the three neighboring countries to come to the defense of each other.

All three are facing threats from jihadists.

Each of the countries has undergone coups since 2020.

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