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G5 Sahel or G5S (French: G5 du Sahel) is an institutional framework for coordination of regional cooperation in development policies and security matters in west Africa. It was created on 16 February 2014 in Nouakchott, Mauritania,[2] at a summit of five Sahel countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.[3] It adopted a convention of establishment on 19 December 2014,[4] and is permanently seated in Mauritania. The coordination is organised on different levels. The military aspect is coordinated by the respective countries' Chiefs of Staff. The purpose of G5 Sahel was to strengthen the bond between economic development and security,[5] and together battle the threat of jihadist organizations operating in the region (AQIM, MOJWA, Al-Mourabitoun, and Boko Haram).
G5 du Sahel G5 Sahel | |
|---|---|
.svg) logo
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 Map of G5 Sahel member states | |
| Administrative center | Nouakchott, Mauritania |
| Spoken | French |
| Type | Security alliance |
| Membership | 2 states |
| Leaders | |
• Executive Secretary | Maman Sambo Sidikou[1] |
| Establishment | 16 February 2014 |
| Currency | 2 currencies |
Website G5Sahel.org | |
A series of new military juntas in the region has prompted several countries to withdraw from the G5 Sahel alliance. On 15 May 2022, Mali announced its withdrawal from the alliance. On 3 December 2023, Niger and Burkina Faso announced their withdrawals from the alliance. On 6 December 2023, the remaining members Chad and Mauritania announced the imminent dissolution of the alliance.[6]
History
editOn 1 August 2014, France launched a counterterrorism mission, Operation Barkhane, deploying 3,000 soldiers in the member states of G5 Sahel.[7] On 20 December, G5 Sahel, with the backing of the African Union, called on the United Nations Security Council to set up an international force to "neutralize armed groups, help national reconciliation, and establish stable democratic institutions in Libya."[8] This was met with opposition from Algeria.[citation needed]
In June 2017, France requested that the United Nations Security Council approve the deployment of a counterterrorism task force consisting of 10,000 soldiers to G5 Sahel.[9][10] The German Bundeswehr has agreed to contribute around 900 troops of its own to help the mission. They will mostly be utilized in the Gao region of Northern Mali for surveillance purposes.[11] The European Union agreed to provide 50 million euros towards financing the force.[9] Russia and China expressed support for the operation, while the United States and the United Kingdom did not agree about financing.[12][13] France and the U.S. reached an agreement on 20 June 2017.[14] The next day, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved the deployment of a G5 Sahel counterterrorism task force.[15] On 29 June, French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced that the French military would cooperate with G5 Sahel.[16]
Withdrawal of Mali
editIn 2022, Chad, which held the presidency of the G5 Sahel, was due to give way to Mali. However, some countries in the alliance were opposed to Mali's presidency, due to the political situation in Mali (which saw two coups d'état in August 2020 and May 2021). In response to this opposition, the Malian authorities announced in a communiqué signed by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization and broadcast on public television on 15 May 2022 that "the government of Mali has decided to withdraw from all G5 Sahel bodies and authorities, including the Joint Force", and denounced "instrumentalization."[17][18][19] In August 2023, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who held the presidency of the G5 Sahel, declared that he "regretted Mali's withdrawal" and that he "hoped it would be very temporary ".[20]
Withdrawal of Burkina Faso and Niger
editFollowing coup d'états in September 2022 in Burkina Faso and in July 2023 in Niger, the leaders of both countries announced on 2 December 2023 that they would withdraw from all instances of the alliance, citing that it was "failing to reach its objectives". They added that the alliance "cannot serve foreign interests to the detriments of our people", referencing France.[21]
Planned dissolution
editOn 6 December 2023, remaining members Chad and Mauritania announced that they were paving the way to dissolve the alliance due to the withdrawal of three of its founding members.[6]
Member states
edit| Name | Accession date | Current head of state |
|---|---|---|
| Chad | 16 February 2014 | Mahamat Déby |
| Mauritania | 16 February 2014 | Mohamed Ould Ghazouani |
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "G5 Sahel : Maman Sidikou remplace Najim Elhadj Mohamed" [G5 Sahel: Maman Sidikou replaces Najim Elhadj Mohamed]. www.jeuneafrique.com. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- ^ Chavez, Dominic (14 July 2014). "Sahel G5 Meeting Brings Together Governments and Donors to Accelerate Regional Development". World Bank. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "African nations form G5 to work on Sahel security, development". Reuters. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "Convention portant: Creation du G5 Sahel" [Convention relating to: Creation of the G5 Sahel] (PDF). G5Sahel.org (in French). Sahel G5. 19 December 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "Communiqué final du Sommet des Chefs d'Etat du G5 du Sahel : Création d'un cadre institutionnel de coordination et de suivi de la coopération régionale dénommé G5 du Sahel" [Final communiqué of the Summit of Heads of State of the G5 of the Sahel: Creation of an institutional framework for coordination and monitoring of regional cooperation called G5 of the Sahel]. LeSahel.org (in French). Office National d'Edition et de Presse. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ a b "Chad, Mauritania pave way for dissolution of G5 Sahel alliance". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
- ^ Larivé, Maxime (7 August 2014). "Welcome to France's New War on Terror in Africa: Operation Barkhane". The National Interest. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ Lagneau, Laurent (20 December 2014). "G5 Sahel calls for UN intervention in Libya, in agreement with the African Union" (in French). Military Zone. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ a b Chémali, Alain (8 June 2017). "Mali: la France propose à l'ONU le déploiement d'une force africaine au Sahel" [Mali: France proposes to the UN the deployment of an African force in the Sahel] (in French). geopolis.francetvinfo.fr. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ "La France va demander à l'ONU d'autoriser une force antiterroriste au Sahel" [France will ask the UN to authorize an anti-terrorist force in the Sahel]. La Chaîne Info (in French). 7 June 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ Julia Maria Egleder (2 February 2018). "Pulling together". D+C, development and cooperation. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
- ^ "Force du G5 Sahel: la France confrontée aux réticences des Etats-Unis à l'ONU - RFI" [G5 Sahel force: France faced with US reluctance at the UN - RFI]. RFI Afrique (in French). Radio France Internationale. 10 June 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ Bourreau, Marie (16 June 2017). "Aux Nations unies, Paris et Washington s'opposent sur la force antiterroriste du G5 Sahel" [At the United Nations, Paris and Washington oppose the G5 Sahel anti-terrorist force]. Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ "ONU: accord entre Paris et Washington sur une force anti-jihadistes au Sahel" [UN: agreement between Paris and Washington on an anti-jihadist force in the Sahel]. La Dépêche (in French). Toulouse. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ "Security Council Welcomes Deployment of Joint Force to Combat Terrorism Threat, Transnational Crime in Sahel, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2359 (2017)". United Nations. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ "French military to work with G5 Sahel troops". Radio France Internationale. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ "Le Mali annonce son retrait de l'organisation régionale G5 Sahel" [Mali announces its withdrawal from the G5 Sahel regional organization]. Le Monde.fr (in French). 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "En signe de protestation, le Mali se retire du G5 Sahel et de sa force militaire antijihadiste" [In protest, Mali withdraws from the G5 Sahel and its anti-jihadist military force]. France 24 (in French). 2022-05-15. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Le Mali se retire du G5 Sahel" [Mali withdraws from the G5 Sahel]. Franceinfo (in French). 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ AfricaNews (2023-07-11). "G5 Sahel : le président mauritanien plaide pour le retour du Mali" [G5 Sahel: the Mauritanian president pleads for the return of Mali]. Africanews (in French). Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ Baily, Armel. "Burkina, Niger To Quit G5 Anti-jihadist Force". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 2023-12-02.