A military intervention in Niger by the Organization of West African States to restore the power of President Mohamed Bazoum could be "a catastrophe", warned Monday, August 7 in Bamako the head of Malian diplomacy, opposed to the use of force against the putschists in Niamey.
Abdoulaye Diop, Mali's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said he could not "understand that ECOWAS can have a military force to go and restore fallen authorities" in Niger and that "we have never received a Kalashnikov to help us" against "jihadist" attacks.
Oppose "any idea of interference"
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The military force that has been used in other neighbouring countries or in other countries, we see the results. It's a catastrophe," Diop said in the presence of his Burkinabe counterpart Olivia Rouamba at an event aimed at deepening bilateral relations between the two countries.
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Iraq was invaded to bring democracy. Twenty years later, (the country) is looking for itself. Libya... we can also mention" other states, Diop said, referring to the political and security chaos in the North African country after an international intervention that brought down the regime of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
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Both Burkina Faso and Mali oppose any idea of interference or external military intervention to address internal political problems," he added.