After Benin, Abidjan wants to reconnect with Mali and Burkina Faso.

Côte d’Ivoire says it is ready to resume security cooperation with Mali and Burkina Faso. The Ivorian Minister of Defense, Téné Birahima Ouattara, expressed this readiness on Tuesday, June 17, in Paris, during the Eurosatory fair dedicated to military equipment. This statement comes in a context of a timid diplomatic thaw between several coastal West African countries and the member states of the Sahel States Alliance.

According to the Ivorian official, Abidjan wants to restart the joint operations that were interrupted with its northern neighbors, particularly in the fight against armed groups. He emphasized the need for a coordinated response to the terrorist threat that continues to weigh on the sub-region. For him, no state can face a security challenge alone when it has become transnational.

Abidjan Wants to Resume Joint Operations

Téné Birahima Ouattara’s statement marks a willingness for openness on the part of the Ivorian authorities. The minister notably mentioned the past cooperation with Burkina Faso, which was interrupted in a context of political and diplomatic tensions.

Côte d’Ivoire shares major security challenges with Burkina Faso and Mali, especially in its northern regions. In recent years, the advance of armed groups in the Sahel has made coordination between neighboring states more urgent. Mixed patrols, intelligence exchanges, and joint border surveillance mechanisms are regularly discussed as levers to contain the threat.

However, relations between Abidjan, Bamako, and Ouagadougou have been weakened by political changes that occurred in Mali in 2020, and then in Burkina Faso in 2022. Differences over the management of military transitions and the diplomatic orientations of the new powers have gradually reduced the frameworks for regional cooperation.

Relations Cooled by Several Crises

Between Côte d’Ivoire and Mali, the most notable episode remains the arrest of 49 Ivorian soldiers in Bamako in January 2022. The Malian authorities presented them as mercenaries, while Abidjan defended their presence as part of a logistics mission related to the United Nations. This affair triggered a serious diplomatic crisis before the gradual release of the involved soldiers.

With Burkina Faso, tensions have been more concentrated along the common border. The two countries have experienced periods of mistrust, fueled by security incidents, mutual accusations, and reduced official exchanges. This degradation has weighed on military coordination mechanisms, especially as the terrorist threat gained ground in several border areas.

The statement from the Ivorian Minister of Defense thus appears as a signal of de-escalation. It reflects Abidjan’s intention to prioritize security cooperation over political differences, in a region where the stakes of stability surpass national borders.

The Benin Example in the Sub-Region

This Ivorian openness comes after efforts made by Benin’s President Romuald Wadagni towards the countries of the Sahel States Alliance. Since taking office, the Beninese head of state has increased contacts with Sahelian leaders to revive regional dialogue, particularly on security, cross-border crime, and economic cooperation.

Benin has thus sent a signal of de-escalation to its Sahelian neighbors, in a context marked by the rupture between Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger with ECOWAS. Cotonou, also facing security challenges in the north of the country, now advocates an approach based on cooperation with neighboring states.

The position expressed by Côte d’Ivoire fits into this broader dynamic. It shows that several coastal countries, directly exposed to the consequences of Sahelian instability, are seeking to restore dialogue channels with Bamako and Ouagadougou. Now it remains to be seen if the willingness displayed by Abidjan will resonate favorably with the Malian and Burkinabè authorities.