Senegal signals willingness to deepen cooperation with Mali
As Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye affirmed Senegal’s readiness to help Mali economically and in countering terrorism on July 28, questions arise about the diplomatic future of the two countries. According to RFI, cooperation could be underway.
The Senegalese president joined his counterpart, Assimi Goïta, for a five-hour meeting that covered Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issues, security in the Sahel, and counterterrorism cooperation. Mali notably left the ECOWAS bloc in 2025, alongside Niger and Burkina Faso, to form the Alliance of Sahel States.
As President Bassirou Diomaye Faye left Bamako, he assured that Senegal was ready to support Mali on both the security and regional fronts, without ever mentioning ECOWAS or making any reference to possible membership.
The Senegalese president also holds the title of President of the ECOWAS organisation, and it is hardly a coincidence that he visited Mali less than 10 days after taking office.
The Senegalese president confirmed that the two leaders had discussed “peace and security issues across the sub-region,” particularly “ways and means of effectively combating terrorism.” Bassirou Diomaye Faye also reiterated “Senegal’s readiness to support Mali” in “jointly addressing (…) threats” that “know no borders and are reinforced by our divisions.”
Additionally, the Bamako-Dakar route is one of Mali’s most important supply routes. Due to the presence of terrorist groups such as the al Qaeda-affiliated JNIM, as well as the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), Mali and its Alliance of Sahel States counterparts have been subjected to violent fighting across all three countries.
The conflict is increasingly resulting in territorial losses for the Malian junta, which is visibly affecting its foreign policy and diplomatic relations. For instance, Mali re-established ties with Algiers, with which it had not maintained relations for more than a year. As the military junta continues to face mounting challenges, its diplomatic efforts have only increased, and new relations with African organisations or countries can be expected. Mali is already paying the Russian paramilitary group AfricaCorps for the counter-terrorism combat going on in the country.
RFI, Maghrebi.org
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