Cooperation with Russia has enabled the armies of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to strengthen in 2024 to better fight terrorism, Fousseynou Ouattara, vice president of the Defense and Security Commission of the Transitional Council of Mali, told Sputnik Africa.
He added that the results of military cooperation with Russia were "very tangible" this year.
"For 2024, we commend the cooperation with Russia, which has seen the strengthening of the armies in our three states [Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso]. We have had an attentive ear from Russia in terms of logistics and equipment," he said.
The official particularly noted cooperation in the following areas:
"the highly efficient aerial vectors" (helicopters and fighter jets);
the sharing of satellite information, which has also enhanced the monitoring of terrorist movements.
The general staffs participated in joint exercises with Togo and Chad, which greatly improved their coordination, the official highlighted. Now, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are united in their fight against terrorism.
"Today, we can say that we are still managing to control the situation thanks to the combined efforts of the three general staffs," explained Ouattara.
Aside from that, Ouattara highlighted that the withdrawal from ECOWAS, which had planned an "aggression against Niger," was a significant event of the year for the AES countries, along with the establishment of the Confederation of Sahel States.
He added that next year will be an opportunity to consider other joint projects for the three countries, such as:
the future issuance of a common currency for AES;
the interconnection of electrical grids;
the establishment of an airline to facilitate connections between the three states;
the construction of roads and railways.