Burkina Faso and Niger, two countries affected by the jihadist violence that started in northern Mali in 2013, on Monday called on Bamako to “come back and assume its responsibilities” as part of sub-regional cooperation in the fight against jihadism.

In mid-May, Mali’s transitional authorities, prevented from assuming the presidency, decided to withdraw from the G5 Sahel and its joint force, a military alliance fighting jihadist groups, citing a “loss of autonomy” and “instrumentalisation” within the regional organization formed with Mauritania, Chad, Burkina and Niger.

“We reviewed (…) the sub-regional situation and we thought that Mali (…) is today the great absentee in defence cooperation,” said Niger’s defence minister, Alkassoum Indattou. 

Source: Africanews