Diplomatic Protest Over Alleged Insecurity Comments
The Foreign Minister of Burkina Faso, Jean Marie Traoré, summoned the Nigerian Chargé d’Affaires in Ouagadougou following comments made by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu regarding alleged insecurity in the three member states of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The meeting, held on August 7, included representatives from Mali and Niger’s embassies to emphasize a unified stance.
The dispute originated on July 30 when President Tinubu reportedly told Nigerian traditional leaders that escalating terrorism and kidnappings in Nigeria were worsening due to insecurity in AES countries. Speaking on behalf of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, Minister Traoré expressed the Alliance’s deep disappointment with the remarks, calling them inaccurate and inconsistent with the spirit of regional solidarity against shared threats.
« We expected a more balanced assessment of the security context, » he stated. « Blaming neighboring countries risks deepening misunderstandings and resentment between peoples bound by history, geography, and kinship. »
Emphasizing that AES nations bear the consequences of the crisis themselves, he added: « We are not responsible for our struggles, yet we face the costs. The true adversaries lie elsewhere. Our duty is to unite as brothers against a common foe. »
The Foreign Minister clarified that the AES’s response was not an act of confrontation but a call for honest dialogue. « Only sincere cooperation can sustainably address the region’s security challenges, » he asserted.
The Nigerian representative acknowledged the AES’s efforts against terrorism and praised the Alliance’s commitment to dialogue and solidarity, pledging to relay the message to Abuja.
