In a joint statement, Burkina Faso and Niger announced their withdrawal from the G5 Sahel, an institutional framework for regional cooperation in development policies and security matters in West Africa. The decision, effective November 29, 2023, was made by the transitional governments of both nations after a thorough review of the G5 Sahel’s functioning.
The statement highlighted concerns that the organization, created in 2014 by Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad, has struggled to achieve its objectives over nearly nine years. The parties expressed dissatisfaction with the G5 Sahel’s institutional challenges and perceived deviation from the original goal of making the Sahel a zone of security and development.
Burkina Faso and Niger asserted that the organization had become burdensome and incompatible with their pursuit of independence and dignity. They emphasized that the G5 Sahel should not serve foreign interests at the expense of the Sahel’s peoples’ welfare and rejected external influences that undermine sovereignty.
The two nations affirmed their commitment to lasting peace in the Sahelian space and pledged to continue cooperating within the Alliance of Sahel States to address terrorism, cross-border crime, and promote development.