Sahel states reject Tinubu’s claim that bloc’s crisis worsening Nigeria’s insecurity

Sahel states reject Tinubu’s claim that bloc’s crisis worsening Nigeria’s insecurity

 The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has rejected President
Bola Tinubu’s claim that insecurity in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger is
worsening Nigeria’s security challenges.

 

The AES comprises Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which
withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and
subsequently established their own regional bloc.

 

Tinubu had said some of the terrorists operating in Nigeria
were foreigners, linking the country’s security challenges to instability in
the three Sahelian countries.

 

“Some of them (the terrorists) are not Nigerian. You see,
the problem of insecurity in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger only exacerbates our
difficulties,” Tinubu had said during a meeting with traditional rulers from
Oyo on July 31.

 

 

But in a statement published on Friday, Karamoko Jean-Marie
Traoré, Burkina Faso’s foreign minister, said the four countries were facing a
common security threat.

 

“Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria face the same
enemy,” Traoré said.

 

The minister said the AES countries would have preferred a
more accurate account of the regional security situation, rather than what he
described as an attempt to attribute a complex crisis to neighbouring
countries.

 

 

“We would have preferred a more accurate presentation of the
security situation, rather than placing the blame for a complex situation on
neighbouring countries, at the risk of fuelling misunderstandings and
frustrations between peoples bound by history, geography, and fraternity,” he
said.

 

Representatives of the three AES countries, meeting in
Ouagadougou, also summoned Nigeria’s chargé d’affaires to express their
disapproval of Tinubu’s remarks.

 

They described the president’s statements as “inaccurate”
and said they minimised the efforts of the Sahelian armies in fighting armed
groups.

 

“We are not responsible for what is happening to us. The
real enemies are elsewhere,” he said.

 

 

The dispute comes amid persistent insecurity across the
Sahel and neighbouring West African countries. The AES states have faced
sustained attacks by jihadist and other armed groups, while Nigeria continues
to battle insurgency, banditry and kidnappings across several regions.

 

Nigeria’s relationship with the AES states has been
complicated since the three countries left ECOWAS.

 

However, Tinubu had previously called for continued regional
engagement.

 

In May 2025, while receiving the credentials of Mali’s
ambassador, Tinubu said Nigeria remained willing to collaborate with Mali
despite the AES’ position.

 

“For me, we are one in West Africa and Africa. The Alliance
of Sahel States (AES) has made its position clear, but no nation can succeed
alone. We see Mali as a brother and are ready to collaborate and exchange
ideas,” Tinubu had said.

Source: Sahel states reject Tinubu’s claim that bloc’s crisis worsening Nigeria’s insecurity



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