Niger and Burkina Faso Withdraw from Anti-Islamist Force in G5 Sahel

Burkina Faso and Niger have announced that they will withdraw from the international force called the G5, which was established to combat Islamist groups in the Sahel region. These countries, which are currently under military rule after experiencing coups, have formed their own defense pact called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The AES was established in September, but Chad and Mauritania remain part of the G5 force, which aims to have around 5,000 soldiers. Burkina Faso and Niger's military-led governments criticized the G5 force for failing to enhance security in the Sahel region and claimed that it undermined their desire for independence and dignity, instead serving foreign interests, particularly France. Relations with France, the former colonial power, have greatly deteriorated. The impact of these countries' withdrawal from G5 on the Islamist militant groups in the Sahel region remains uncertain. There is currently no evidence to suggest that having soldiers in power makes the population safer from the threat of these fighters linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.