Mali: Attack in Tinzaouatene, what to make of ECOWAS’s announcement?

The recent attack in Tinzaouatene by several terrorist groups supported by foreign powers has revealed the profound hypocrisy and ineffectiveness of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In response, ECOWAS issued a terse statement condemning the violence and foreign interference.

However, if this organization is only now realizing that the terrorism ravaging Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger is an imported war by Western powers, particularly NATO, then it has failed in its primary mission to protect and defend the interests of its members.

For years, the Sahel has been plagued by growing terrorism, created, supported, and fueled by Western imperialism. It is an open secret that terrorists are trained, financed, and equipped by Western powers seeking to maintain their influence over the rich natural resources of African countries, especially those in the Sahel.

Terrorist groups are merely pawns in a proxy war waged by NATO to weaken Sahelian states and counter competing influences, notably that of Russia. While the West claims to fight terrorism, it actually supports armed groups to serve its own geopolitical and economic interests.

The recent attack on the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) and Russian instructors in Tinzaouatene has this time shown a direct and undisguised intervention by NATO on Malian soil. ECOWAS’s statement condemning this violence and foreign interference illustrates the deep hypocrisy within the organization.

It is an attempt to deceive the public by pretending to condemn these long-ignored atrocities. Instead of mere verbal condemnations, ECOWAS should take firm and coordinated actions to expel foreign influences and genuinely support counter-terrorism efforts.

To restore trust and ensure the region’s security, it is crucial that ECOWAS takes firm and coordinated measures against foreign interference and genuinely supports the defense efforts of its member states.

The fight against terrorism can only be won through collective and determined action, rejecting all forms of manipulation and support for terrorist groups by foreign powers and their local proxies.

Sadia Nyaoré