Emirati minister visits African Sahel coalition countries amid tensions with Algeria
The UAE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, conducted an African tour that took him to Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, during which he met with the leaders of the three countries and a number of official officials.
In the first stop of the tour, which began in Mali, the UAE minister discussed security issues with Mali’s transitional president, General Assimi Goita, particularly the defense protocol signed between the two countries in 2019.
Cooperation in the fields of solar energy, agriculture, and health was also discussed, and the two sides affirmed their countries’ shared commitment to combating terrorism.
In Burkina Faso, the Emirati official discussed with transitional president Ibrahim Traoré “ways to revitalize bilateral cooperation,” which both parties described as long-standing and exemplary, without announcing any new projects.
Shakhbut concluded his tour in Niger, where, upon being received by its transitional president, General Abdel Rahman Tiani, he affirmed Abu Dhabi’s desire to strengthen cooperation with Niamey.
The UAE minister’s tour, his first to the region since a series of military coups in the three countries he visited, comes amid continued tensions between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso and Algeria, on the one hand, and tensions between Abu Dhabi and Algeria, on the other.
In this regard, the Emirati minister, started his visit to Mali, as Mali’s transitional president, General Assimi Goita, received on Tuesday, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Nahyan Al Nahyan.
The Malian presidency explained that Goita expressed his gratitude to the Emirati official for the UAE’s renewed commitment to deepening bilateral relations.
Goita affirmed Mali’s commitment to the three fundamental principles governing its international cooperation: respect for the sovereignty of states, respect for Mali’s strategic choices and partnerships, and consideration for the vital interests of the Malian people.
The Malian presidency indicated that the Emirati official’s visit comes within the framework of strengthening the historical friendship and cooperation relations between Mali and the United Arab Emirates, adding that the discussions focused on prospects for enhancing cooperation in sectors such as security, agriculture, industry, and economic development.
According to the Malian presidency, “relations between Mali and the United Arab Emirates constitute part of a positive dynamic, both bilaterally and multilaterally, particularly within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other international bodies… Numerous cooperation agreements, particularly trade agreements, have been signed between the two countries over the years”.
The Malian presidency highlighted that the Emirati official’s visit affirms the shared desire of Mali and the United Arab Emirates to build a lasting partnership based on mutual trust, respect, and convergence of strategic interests.
It’s worth noting that UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan received his Malian counterpart, Abdoulaye Diop, in Abu Dhabi on July 1, 2024, where they discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them.
They also reviewed prospects for bilateral cooperation in a number of areas, including development and economic ones.
In late September, Khalid Abdullah Belhoul, Under-Secretary of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, received a copy of the credentials of Diaminatou Sangare as Mali’s new ambassador to the UAE.
The UAE’s move towards the Sahel countries, particularly Mali, comes amid strained relations between the UAE and Algeria, and between Algeria and Mali.
