General topics, page-249

African countries formed a new alliance

Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have signed a charter that establishes the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to create a collective defense architecture, Mali's interim president Assimi Goïta said on his X account (Twitter).

An aggression against one AES party would be considered an aggression against other parties and would require the assistance of all countries in the treaty, including military force, the document signed on Saturday says.

The decision came amid talks between a delegation of the Russian Defense Ministry and representatives of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

In early September, Russian military officers led by Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov visited Burkina Faso. During the talks with the head of state Ibrahim Traoré, they discussed military-technical cooperation, including the training of Burkina Faso's military, including pilots, in Russia.

On September 16, Yevkurov held closed-door talks with Malian President Assimi Goïta and Niger's Defense Minister Salifou Modi, Malian television reported.

Earlier, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended the membership of Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and other countries where the military has seized power. The community has also threatened Niger with intervention, while France has voiced support for the decision. Mali and Burkina Faso promised to assist Niger in case of intervention.