ALLIANCE OF SAHEL STATES

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Context

• Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have signed a mutual defence pact, known as the Alliance of Sahel States.

READ ABOUT SAHEL REGION: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/sahel

Aim of the Defence Pact

• Through this pact, the three Sahel countries aim to help each other against possible threats of armed rebellion or external aggression.
• The aim is to establish a collective defence and mutual assistance framework.

Features of the Pact

• The charter, known as the Alliance of Sahel States, binds the signatories to assist one another – including militarily – in the event of an attack on any one of them.
• Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties.

Need of the Alliance

• The Liptako-Gourma region – where the Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger borders meet – has been ravaged by armed rebellion in recent years.
• All three states were members of the France-supported G5 Sahel alliance joint force with Chad and Mauritania, launched in 2017 to tackle armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) groups.
• They have undergone coups since 2020, most recently Niger, where soldiers in July overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, who cooperated with the West in the fight against Sahel-based armed groups.
• This alliance will be a combination of military and economic efforts between the three countries.

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Consider the following statements? 1.    The Sahel region in Africa is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. 2.    The Sahel is mostly covered in grassland and savanna. 3.    The Sahel has a tropical semi-arid climate. 4.    South Africa, Mali, and Nigeria are part of the Sahel part of Africa. How many of the above are correct? A) Only 1 B) Only 2 C) Only 3 D) All Four Answer: C) Only 3 PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Consider the following statements. 1.The Alliance of Sahel States aims to help each other against possible threats of armed rebellion or external aggression. 2.Mali, Burkina Faso, and Senegal are a part of the Alliance of Sahel States. 3.    The Alliance of Sahel States binds the signatories to assist one another – including militarily – in the event of an attack on any one of them. How many of the above are correct? A) Only 1 B) Only 2 C) All 3 D) None of the statements Answer: B) Only 2

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/16/mali-niger-and-burkina-faso-establish-sahel-security-alliance