BAMAKO, 11 Nov. - (ANA) - The President of the Sahel States Confederation (AES), Army General Assimi Goïta, has issued clear instructions to the Chiefs of Staff of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to operationalize their joint action plan. Following the Niamey summit in Niger on July 6, which marked the creation of the AES Confederation, the leaders of the three countries took steps to develop a defense and security action plan for the region.

 

This plan was developed by military experts from the three nations under the leadership of the Chiefs of Staff: Brigadier General Celestin Simporé from Burkina Faso, Major General Oumar Diarra from Mali, and Brigadier General Moussa Salaoua Barmou from Niger. 

 

On November 5, 2024, during a meeting held in Bamako, the military leaders reviewed and validated the conclusions of the experts’ work. That afternoon, they presented their findings to President Goïta during an audience at the Koulouba Palace in Bamako. The goal was to receive further guidance on implementing the adopted action plan.

 

General Moussa Salaoua Barmou, Chief of the General Staff of the Nigerien Armed Forces, explained that the plan aims to strengthen the region’s security in the face of threats from terrorism, transnational crime, and destabilization. « Securing our territories is crucial to allow our populations to focus on what is essential: their development, » General Barmou emphasized, assuring that concrete strategies have been developed to this end.

 

President Goïta provided specific instructions to ensure the implementation of these measures. « The terrorists, traffickers, and armed groups do not wait for us, » General Barmou added. He stressed the urgency of bringing this action plan to fruition, with large-scale operations to be launched to ensure the security of people and property within the AES space. The general also called on the citizens of the three countries to strengthen their resilience and continue to place their trust in the defense and security forces of the AES Confederation.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/11 November 2024 - - -