Mali and Burkina Faso were notably absent on Monday from the African Chiefs of Defense Staff Summit hosted by Nigeria, a clear sign of the ongoing tensions between Sahelian military-led governments and their West African neighbors.
Alongside Niger, both countries withdrew in January from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), opting instead to form their own regional defense pact: the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This coalition aims to strengthen joint efforts against jihadist groups operating in the region.
Only Niger, despite being a founding member of the AES, sent a delegate, Colonel Soumana Kalkoye, defense attaché at the Nigerien embassy in Abuja. His was a lone presence from the AES bloc at a summit that gathered representatives from across the continent to explore a unified response to Africa’s mounting security challenges.
The summit, which runs through Wednesday, seeks to promote African-led solutions to the continent’s defense issues. Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa, called for a renewed spirit of cooperation, emphasizing that “true security cannot be achieved in isolation”. He warned that security threats transcend borders and require coordinated action.
The event takes place amid lingering tensions between Nigeria and Niger, following the 2023 military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. ECOWAS, led by Nigeria, responded with sanctions and threats of military intervention. Though relations have somewhat eased with the signing of a security memorandum in 2024, Niger’s withdrawal from a regional task force has weakened joint operations against armed groups, especially in the Lake Chad region.