The juntas of Mali and Burkina want to "strengthen their military partnership"

The leaders of the ruling juntas in Mali and Burkina, two Sahelian countries plagued by attacks from Islamist groups, have decided to "

", the Burkinabe presidency said on Sunday.

Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who came to power in a putsch in January, met in Bamako with his Malian counterpart Colonel Assimi Goïta, who also came to power in a coup in May 2021, for a "

" of a few hours.

This is the first trip abroad of the head of the Burkinabe junta.

Burkina Faso and Mali share a border of more than a thousand kilometers, an area affected by numerous deadly attacks by jihadist groups.

"

," said the Burkinabe president in a press release.

A press release from the Malian presidency confirmed these remarks.

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At the end of August, Burkina Faso and Niger - countries also hit by these Islamist groups - had invited Bamako to "

" within the framework of sub-regional cooperation in the anti-jihadist fight.

In mid-May, Mali decided to withdraw from the G5 Sahel and its joint force, a military alliance fighting against jihadist groups, citing a "

" and "

" within this regional organization formed with Mauritania, Chad, Burkina and Niger.

The Malian junta has gradually turned away from France and its allies to turn towards Russia.

The French army, pushed towards the exit, transferred to the Malian authorities its various bases in Mali and left the country in August after nine years of engagement against the jihadists.

On Monday, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba will meet with another neighboring head of state, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.

Burkina and Côte d'Ivoire share a border of nearly 600 kilometers and thousands of Burkinabe refugees have fled the jihadist attacks affecting their country in recent years to find refuge in the north of Côte d'Ivoire, less affected by these violence.

Burkina Faso, where the junta has promised to make the anti-jihadist fight its priority, is confronted like several neighboring countries with the violence of armed jihadist movements affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, which have been fighting there since 2015. thousands of dead and some two million displaced.

More than 40% of Burkina's territory is outside state control, according to official figures, and attacks have increased since the start of the year.