The leaders of Mauritania and Chad, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani and Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, have announced the initiation of a process to dissolve the regional security alliance, the Sahel Group of Five (G5), citing the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. A joint communiqué posted on social media by the Chadian presidential administration reads.
"The governments of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the current chair of the G5 Sahel, and the Republic of Chad, a member of this organization, will take all necessary measures in accordance with the provisions of the Convention establishing the G5 Sahel, specifically its 20th article," the document stated. According to the 20th article of the convention, the organization can be dissolved at the request of at least three of its members.
Burkina Faso and Niger announced their withdrawal from the G5 as of November 29, 2023, while the leadership of Mali made a similar decision in May 2022.
The Sahel G5 was established in February 2014 to maintain security in the western Sahel zone and coordinate the fight against international terrorism. The G5 secretariat is headquartered in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott. The G5 member countries established a joint army force in 2015 to combat terrorist groups in the Sahel region.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Le Petit Chat/Creative Commons 4.0
Based on materials from TASS