The chiefs of staff of the armed forces of the AES countries met in Niger to draw up the outlines of a joint force to fight terrorism, Mali's Armed Forces said.
The statement said the desire to combine military forces is already visible in various theaters of war. For instance, the combined efforts of the Malian and Nigerian armies when a border post in the Malian town of Labbezanga was attacked by armed terrorists on Wednesday and defeated by joint forces, the army revealed.
The Nigerian Press Agency disclosed that the Niamey meeting examined proposals and recommendations prepared by experts and ministers from the three countries to develop security arrangements in the territories of the AES member states.
"The joint force will be operationalized as soon as possible to reflect the security challenges in our region," Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Niger, Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, said after the meeting, as quoted by media.
He added that the cooperation of the three countries will create conditions for harmonious development and integration and "guarantee real independence."
The countries formed the AES on September 16 last year to unite forces against terrorism.
The AES founding document states that any violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of any of its members would be considered as an aggression against all and would require their assistance, including the use of force.
In late January this year, the AES countries announced their withdrawal from the regional bloc ECOWAS, citing the organization's ineffectiveness in combating terrorism.
ECOWAS imposed political, economic, and trade sanctions last year after a group of military officers from the presidential guard seized power in Niger in late July 2023 and removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power. The regional organization also threatened a joint regional military operation in Niger to reinstate Bazoum.
Earlier, the bloc imposed sanctions on Mali in 2020 and Burkina Faso in 2022 in response to the military's rise to power.
The AES states, announcing their withdrawal from the ECOWAS, called the bloc a "threat" to its member states and slammed it for imposing "illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible" sanctions on the three countries.