AES countries unite against misleading security claims
The Burkinabè Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean Marie Traoré, summoned Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Ouagadougou following remarks by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu regarding alleged security challenges in the three nations of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The meeting, held on August 7, included representatives from Mali and Niger, both AES member states, to present a unified front.
The controversy stems from Tinubu’s July 30 statement to Nigerian traditional leaders, in which he suggested that insecurity in the AES region was worsening Nigeria’s security situation. He attributed this to a rise in terrorist attacks and kidnappings within his country.
Speaking on behalf of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, Traoré expressed profound disappointment over what he described as inaccurate and poorly framed remarks. He criticized the Nigerian President’s analysis as overly simplistic and surprising, emphasizing that such claims could fuel misunderstandings and frustration among neighboring nations bound by shared history and geography.
“We are not responsible for our own challenges,” Traoré stated. “We bear the consequences, but the real threats lie elsewhere. This is why we must act as brother nations facing a common enemy.”
He clarified that the AES countries’ response was not intended as a diplomatic confrontation but rather as a call for honest dialogue. “Our goal is to foster genuine cooperation, as only sincere collaboration can help us overcome the region’s security crises,” he added.
The Nigerian Chargé d’Affaires acknowledged the AES nations’ commitment to dialogue and solidarity in combating terrorism, praising their efforts while pledging to relay their concerns to Abuja.
