Juntas ruling Niger, Mali & Burkina Faso agree to create joint force

Bamako: A joint security force announced by the juntas ruling Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to fight the worsening extremist violence in their Sahel region countries faces a number of challenges that cast doubt on its effectiveness, analysts said Thursday.

Niger’s top military chief, Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou said in a statement after meeting with his counterparts on Wednesday that the joint force would be “operational as soon as possible to meet the security challenges in our area.” The announcement is the latest in a series of actions taken by the three countries to strike a more independent path away from regional and international allies since the region experienced a string of coups the most recent in Niger in July last year.

They have already formed a security alliance after severing military ties with neighbours and European nations such as France and turning to Russia already present in parts of the Sahel for support.