Mali says ECOWAS did not help it fight terrorism
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has not done anything to help the countries of the Sahel to fight terrorism, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali, Abdoulaye Diop.
Minister Diop has explained the reasons for his country's withdrawal from the organization during a discussion at the 3rd Antalya Diplomatic Conference in Turkey on Sunday.
Explaining the point, he said: "If we take the example of ECOWAS and its anti-terrorism plan, we saw nothing, no help. They left us to solve the problem ourselves. Therefore, we did not see the importance of staying in that organization."
In addition, he revealed that some partners who wanted to work with Sahel countries were the source of the spread of terrorism and financing it.
Minister Diop has noted that, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have announced to take steps to strengthen their internal security by creating the Union of Sahel Countries (AES).
He also added that the sanctions imposed against Mali after the revolution were not fair. The number of victims of terrorism in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger increased fivefold after 2016, and 4,000 people were killed by terrorists and extremists in these countries in 2019.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso are three countries of great importance in the West African region that in recent years have witnessed major political events to the extent that these countries are currently ruled by governments that are against French colonialism and empires. imperialist.
The military leaders of those countries are supported by the people due to their success in expelling the soldiers of Western imperialist powers such as France from those countries.
In fact, the three countries of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which have many resources in the West African region, have been given special importance by colonial countries, especially France, and in recent years the French army has strengthened its military presence in those countries under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
However, the situation in the region, such as the increase in terrorist activities and its spread in Africa, further demonstrated the negligence and disrespect of those countries' promises to improve peace and security and help eliminate the effects of colonialism in the continent.
