Ouagadougou: The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Comrade Karamoko Jean Marie Traore, received the Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Burkina Faso to express the deep regret of the three countries of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) following the inaccurate statements made on July 30 by the Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the security situation in the AES countries.
According to Burkina Information Agency, this meeting took place in the presence of the Charges d'Affaires of the Embassies of Mali and Niger, illustrating the concerted and united position of the three member states of the Confederation. On July 30, during a meeting with Nigerian traditional leaders, President Tinubu attributed the resurgence of kidnappings and terrorist attacks in Nigeria to what he described as a "collapse" of security in neighboring Sahel 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," President Tinubu had stated before the Nigerian traditional chiefs. On behalf of his counterparts from Mali and Niger, Minister Karamoko Jean Marie Traore expressed the deep regret of the countries of the Confederation at these inaccurate remarks, which are incompatible with the spirit of solidarity that should prevail between neighboring states facing a common threat.
According to the Burkinabe Foreign Minister, this interpretation of the security situation obscures the considerable sacrifices made daily by the Defense and Security Forces, as well as by the populations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in the fight against terrorism. "This is a quick, very simplistic and surprising analysis, which reveals a worrying bias on the part of Nigeria's highest authority. We would have preferred that the security context be presented more accurately, rather than placing the responsibility for a complex situation on neighboring countries, at the risk of fueling misunderstandings and frustrations between peoples linked by history, geography and fraternity," said Minister Traore.
In the specific case of Niger, the Minister of Foreign Affairs believes that President Tinubu's remarks constitute a disregard for the sacrifice made by the Nigerien army against Boko Haram for years, when the phenomenon of terrorism was not yet prevalent in the countries of the AES Confederation. The minister also recalled that despite the connections established between Boko Haram and certain terrorist groups active in the Sahel, the States of the AES Confederation have always refrained from any public accusation against Nigeria, favouring an approach based on cooperation and shared responsibility.
According to the Burkinabe Foreign Minister, 'Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria are facing the same enemy. As such, the successes achieved by the defense and security forces of the ESA countries benefit the security of the entire sub-region, including Nigeria, by limiting the capacity to cause harm and the mobility of terrorist groups.' Minister Traore thus invited the Nigerian authorities to favour unifying speeches that promote solidarity, rather than statements that could fuel divisions or misunderstandings between neighbouring peoples.
'We are not responsible for what is happening to us. We are paying the price, but the real enemies are elsewhere. That is why we must act as brotherly peoples, united by a common history and facing the same threat,' he stressed. Minister Karamoko Jean Marie Traore reaffirmed that the approach of the three countries of the AES Confederation was neither a matter of controversy nor of diplomatic confrontation, but reflected the desire to maintain a frank, respectful and constructive dialogue between brotherly states, convinced that only sincere cooperation will make it possible to sustainably meet the security challenges of the sub-region.
In response, the Charge d'Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy indicated that he had taken good note of the message conveyed to him and pledged to faithfully report it to his authorities in Abuja. He also acknowledged the considerable efforts made by the countries of the Confederation of Sahel States in the fight against terrorism, citing in particular the decisive role played by Niger in preventing attacks that could have targeted Nigerian territory.
The Nigerian diplomat finally welcomed the initiative of the Foreign Ministers of the AES Confederation, seeing in it the willingness of neighboring states to prioritize dialogue, mutual understanding and solidarity in the face of a common threat.