The security situation in Mali “is under control”, according to President Assimi Goïta
Hibapress
The Malian president, Colonel Assimi Goïta, affirmed on Tuesday in Ouagadougou that the security situation in his country is under control and that fear has even changed sides.
“The Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) maintain the initiative on the ground. They are deployed throughout the national territory,” said Mr. Goïta, who paid a friendship and working visit to Burkina on Tuesday.
According to him, many terrorist bases have been destroyed, terrorist leaders neutralized, and several terrorists formerly active on the ground have surrendered.
He stressed that basic administration and social services are back in different localities, noting that terrorism has “become a geopolitical issue in the hands of certain foreign powers who manipulate and finance terrorists.”
“Terrorism has become a geopolitical issue in the hands of certain strategic partners. But this challenge of the fight against terrorism, which is manipulated and financed by certain foreign powers, is far from meeting the aspirations of our populations,” said Colonel Assimi Goïta, quoted by the Burkina Faso information agency (AIB ).
The Malian leader, on the other hand, stressed that cooperation between the regimes of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES-Mali, Burkina, Niger) has “taken a path of no return”.
“Our destinies are linked, we have taken a path of no return. Let it be clear,” said Colonel Assimi Goïta, after an interview with his Burkinabè counterpart, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announced in January their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), an organization that they consider to be exploited by France. The AES aims in particular to “move away from facade and ineffective partnerships and direct us towards sincere partners such as Russia, China, Turkey”, affirmed Colonel Goïta. “These new partnerships have enabled the three countries to equip themselves well and effectively carry out operations against armed terrorist groups,” he said.
“We took stock of our cooperation on the bilateral level, discussed security issues and issues on the economic development level,” said Assimi Goïta. Mali and Burkina are working together on “joint training” to “strengthen our land and air operational capacities”, on “the sharing of intelligence between our intelligence services and the pooling of our resources”, he added.
In mid-May, the AES foreign ministers “finalized” in Niamey a draft text creating the Confederation of this alliance, which the heads of state of these three countries should adopt at a future summit.
