{"id":4143,"date":"2023-12-16T12:26:37","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T11:26:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/blog\/2023\/12\/16\/away-from-the-sahel\/"},"modified":"2024-06-20T10:51:47","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T08:51:47","slug":"away-from-the-sahel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/en\/blog\/2023\/12\/16\/away-from-the-sahel\/","title":{"rendered":"Away from the Sahel\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d ChMk0b\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">In a recent development in the dynamics of the G5 Sahel, Mauritania and Chad have signaled their determination to continue regional efforts despite the withdrawals of Niger and Burkina Faso, following the previously announced exit of Mali.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d ChMk0b\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">The joint statement released by Presidents Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani (Mauritania) and Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno (Chad) underlines their commitment to addressing regional challenges.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">The statement, disclosed through a joint press release, recognizes the abandonment of Niger and Burkina Faso from the G5 Sahel and underlines the willingness of Mauritania and Chad to pursue the objectives of the region. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">In response to this sovereign decision of the sister republics of Burkina Faso and Niger, Nouakchott and N&#8217;Djamena expressed gratitude to the technical and financial partners for their continued commitment to the region.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">In the statement, the two presidents draw attention to the need to address the asymmetric and cross-border warfare that has affected the subregion for more than a decade.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">Citing the context of real concerns and prolonged violence, the presidents highlight that the G5 Sahel was created in 2014 to address security and development challenges, uniting the brotherly and friendly countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">The republics of Mauritania and Chad highlight the strategic structure of the G5 Sahel, based on security, stability, civil protection and economic and social development.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">The statement recalls the creation of the Joint Force, the cross-border cooperation program and the establishment of entities such as the Regional Anti-Terrorism Training Center and the Defense College. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">After the withdrawal of Mali in 2022 and the subsequent decisions of Burkina Faso and Niger in December 2023, the two presidents reiterate their efforts to overcome the crisis, but acknowledge and respect the sovereign decision of the sister republics.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">Nonetheless, they emphasize continued commitment to the ideals of African regional integration and the goals of the G5 Sahel. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">Finally, the statement also reflects on the possibility of dissolving the G5 Sahel, as indicated in Article 20 of the Convention on the Creation of the G5 Sahel.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">This article specifies that the G5 Sahel can be dissolved at the request of at least three members.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">This development calls to mind the historical and current complexity of colonialism in the Sahel, calling attention to crucial questions of regional autonomy and cooperation. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">In this delicate context, the emergence of terrorism and jihadist extremism adds a critical layer to the challenges faced by the Sahel region.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">Armed terrorist groups, operating asymmetrically and across borders, threaten the security and stability of Mauritania and Chad, as well as the other members of the G5 Sahel.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">The creation of the Joint Force, mentioned in the statement, highlights joint efforts to directly address this danger, but the persistence of terrorism requires a continued and coordinated response. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">The historical context of colonialism in the Sahel has shaped current dynamics, influencing the political and economic stability of the region.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">Colonialism has often left legacies of arbitrary borders and socioeconomic inequalities, which can contribute to internal tensions.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">The analysis of these elements is crucial to fully understand current challenges and seek sustainable solutions. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">In addition, post-colonialism has brought about a number of challenges, including managing resources and building stable institutions.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">Foreign interference, whether from Western powers or global players such as China and multinationals, can further influence the situation.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">Geopolitical dynamics and resource competitions can complicate regional cooperation efforts, adding another layer of complexity. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">The recognition of the possibility of dissolving the G5 Sahel, as indicated in Article 20 of the Convention, highlights the need to reflect on the future of regional cooperation. <\/span><\/span><span class=\"jCAhz JxVs2d JpY6Fd\"><span class=\"ryNqvb\">Addressing these challenges will require strategic vision and long-term commitment from the countries involved, regional partners and the international community as a whole.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a recent development in the dynamics of the G5 Sahel, Mauritania and Chad have signaled their determination to continue regional efforts despite the withdrawals of Niger and Burkina Faso, following the previously announced exit of Mali.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1080,346,1246,1247,708,1248,267,410,312,265,787],"class_list":["post-4143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","tag-bokoharram-en","tag-burkina-faso-en","tag-colonialism","tag-g5-en","tag-mali-en","tag-mauritnaia-en","tag-migration","tag-niger-en","tag-sahara-en","tag-sahel-en","tag-war-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4143\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bnd.ngo\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}