West African junta alliance moves to consolidate cooperation with China

By Oumar Sankare

BAMAKO, Mali (AA) – An alliance of three junta-ruled Sahel states vowed Thursday to further strengthen cooperation with China as Beijing pledged more than $50 billion in financing for Africa over the next three years at a summit.

The discussions on consolidating ties with China came during a meeting in Beijing hosted by Colonel Assimi Goita, the president of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), who is also head of the transitional government of Mali.

Goita met with Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine of Niger on the sidelines of 9th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdrew last year from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which had threatened to intervene militarily in their countries following a coup in Niger in July.

Earlier this year, they formed the AES and later announced the creation of a joint military force to counter their spiraling security challenges posed by terrorist groups.

Speaking at a joint news conference, Zeine said the meeting in Beijing “demonstrates the common will of the three states to speak with one voice on the international scene.”

It is also to “take advantage of Sino-African cooperation to strengthen their economic and security development,” he told reporters.

Zeine said the discussions mainly focused on the priorities of the AES nations, including the mobilization of Chinese investments in key sectors such as infrastructure, energy, mining and especially security.

Goita said he gave instructions “so that the work in progress to strengthen the young joint organization is accelerated.”

“There was also talk of consolidating cooperation between the AES countries and China,” said Zeine.

Goita also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“China (should) make itself available to African countries, particularly those of the AES, so that construction is carried out in compliance with our commitments and our mutual interests,” said Zeine.

During the visit to China, the Mali junta also signed a contract with a Chinese firm to provide them with military equipment, training and technology transfers in key areas of defense.

At bilateral level, Kyelem de Tambela hoped to see cooperation with China “strengthened in sectors such as air transport.”

Alluding to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, he also hoped for the inclusion of Burkina Faso in the trillion-dollar international infrastructure development projects which will connect China to Europe and Africa via a land “economic belt” and a maritime route.