Mauritania and Chad Pave Way For Dissolution of G5 Sahel Anti-Jihad Alliance

Mauritania and Chad acknowledge and honor the independent decision of Burkina Faso and Niger to withdraw from the G5 Sahel alliance, in line with Mali's previous announcement of withdrawal. This paved the way for the dissolution of the established alliance in 2014 to address jihadism and other challenges in the sub-region.

In a statement released on Wednesday, December 6 morning, the Mauritanian news agency reported that they would take necessary actions based on the guidelines outlined in the G5 Sahel Convention, specifically referring to article 20. The Chadian government also confirmed this information to AFP.

Article 20 of the Convention states that "the G5 Sahel can be dissolved at the request of at least three member states".

On Saturday, the military administrations currently in control of Burkina Faso and Niger declared their country's withdrawal. However, they did not explicitly request the dissolution of the G5 Sahel in their official statement.

Nonetheless, the future of this alliance, which was already in a precarious state even before the Malian junta announced its withdrawal in 2022, seemed inevitable.

Although member nations established a combined military force in 2017, violence has persisted and expanded, resulting in the deaths of numerous civilians and fighters, as well as the displacement of millions. This has significantly contributed to political instability and coups in the countries.