Despite Burkina Faso's headstrong stance, some African countries still want to remain friends
Lieutenant-Colonel Ibrahim Traoré, the junta leader of Burkina Faso, received Tete António, the Special Envoy of the African Union (AU) Chairperson, Angolan President João Lourenço, in the country's capital of Ouagadougou on June 17, 2025.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ibrahim Traoré met Tete António, AU's Envoy, in Ouagadougou to strengthen unity amid Sahel security threats.
The AU's visit symbolizes its shift towards actionable engagement, aiming to support susceptible member states facing insurgencies.
Discussions between the AU delegation and local officials focused on issues of security and humanitarian challenges.
Tete issued a message from the current chair of the AU, Angolan President João Lourenço. The goal of António's visit is to strengthen continental unity with Burkina Faso in the face of growing Sahelian security threats.
The delegation was described as a listening mission: "to see what collective paths we can take as Africans to find solutions."
His visit symbolizes the AU's transition from declarations to engagement, indicating a readiness to assist vulnerable member states facing Islamist insurgencies.
António said that the AU "will not remain indifferent" to the deepening crisis, emphasizing the notion of continental responsibility.
The AU delegation met with Traoré and local officials to discuss security and humanitarian issues, as reported by Sputnik.
The conclusion is likely to direct coordinated AU support, which may include logistics, peacekeeping, information sharing, and humanitarian supplies.
This move mirrors a recent one made by the Nigerian government, which allowed the country to present an olive branch to the defected state.
Burkina Faso, which is one-third of the three countries that recently exited its former regional bloc the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), was offered a diplomatic overture alongside Mali and Niger for the re-estblishment of a working relationship with Nigeria.
During a news conference in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, on Monday, Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar disclosed the intent, demonstrating the country's determination to continue promoting regional cooperation within the ECOWAS framework in spite of persistent political divisions.
Nigeria sees the three nations as essential partners in West Africa's economic destiny, notwithstanding their official withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States, Tuggar underlined.
He pointed out that political differences shouldn't stop regional growth, especially when common issues like infrastructure, trade, and security cut beyond institutional boundaries.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger's self-wiled stance
In a remarkable turn that has reshaped West Africa's geopolitical landscape, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have formally withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), signaling a profound break not just from the regional bloc, but also from long-standing Western alliances.
The three Sahelian nations grappling with terrorism, underdevelopment, and political instability have increasingly expressed frustration with what they view as ECOWAS's ineffectiveness and bias, especially after the bloc imposed sanctions following recent coups.
The military juntas leading these countries have made it clear: their priorities are internal stability, security control, and economic self-determination, not appeasing Western capitals or complying with ECOWAS timelines for a return to civilian rule.
Mali and Burkina Faso, for instance, expelled French troops and suspended military cooperation with former Western allies, turning instead to new partners like Russia.
Niger, following the 2023 coup, followed a similar trajectory by rejecting French military presence and forming a security alliance with its Sahel neighbors.
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