Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré convened an emergency meeting on Thursday with Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Ouagadougou. The gathering followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s controversial remarks about the security situation in the Sahel Alliance of States (AES) region.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that Mali and Niger’s Chargés d’Affaires were also present, demonstrating the unified stance of the three AES member states.
On July 30, during a meeting with Nigerian traditional leaders, President Tinubu attributed the surge in kidnappings and terrorist attacks in Nigeria to what he described as the “collapse” of security in neighboring Sahel countries. This assessment was echoed in a statement from Burkina Faso’s Foreign Ministry.
“Some of them (the terrorists) are not Nigerians. You see, the insecurity problem in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger only worsens our difficulties,” President Tinubu told the traditional leaders, according to diplomatic sources.
Burkina Faso’s top diplomat condemned this interpretation of regional security, stating it “obscures the significant sacrifices made daily by defense and security forces, as well as civilians, in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in the fight against terrorism.”
Traoré emphasized that this oversimplified narrative reveals a concerning bias from Nigeria’s highest authority. He stressed the need for a more accurate representation of the security context rather than shifting blame to neighboring countries, warning this could fuel misunderstandings and frustrations between historically and geographically connected peoples.
He also highlighted that President Tinubu’s remarks disregard the Nigerian military’s decade-long struggle against Boko Haram, noting that terrorism did not yet exist in AES countries when Nigeria began its fight.
Traoré pointed out that while connections between Boko Haram and certain Sahel-based terrorist groups exist, AES member states have consistently avoided public accusations against Nigeria. Instead, they prioritize cooperation and shared responsibility.
“Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria face the same enemy. The successes achieved by the defense and security forces of AES countries benefit the entire subregion, including Nigeria, by limiting terrorist groups’ operational capacity and mobility,” he stated.
Traoré urged Nigerian authorities to adopt unifying and solidarity-driven discourse rather than statements that could deepen divisions or misunderstandings between neighboring peoples.
In response, Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires acknowledged the message and pledged to faithfully report it to authorities in Abuja, as confirmed by Burkina Faso’s Foreign Ministry statement.
