The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Christopher Gwabin Musa, on Wednesday, met with General Moussa Salaou Barmou, Chief of Staff of the Nigerien Armed Forces, in Niamey, Republic of Niger. The meeting aimed to deepen the fraternal bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Niger and explore enhanced security cooperation.
Despite Niger’s recent announcement of withdrawal from ECOWAS over perceived interference in its sovereign affairs, the country has “reaffirmed its readiness to resume active participation in security cooperation under the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJT),” according to a statement from Acting Director of Defence Information Brigadier General Tukur Gusau.
Gusau said that during the meeting, both leaders acknowledged the importance of ongoing dialogue and collaboration to address mutual security challenges and strengthen their strategic partnership. They emphasized the need to maintain and expand existing cooperations, including joint military operations, intelligence sharing, and tactical coordination.
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The Defence Chiefs also discussed the significant impact of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons on regional security. They recognized that the widespread availability of these weapons contributes to increased instability and conflict. To counter this, they agreed to intensify efforts to curb the illicit flow of such arms, enhance border security, and support regional and international initiatives to control and reduce their spread.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to resuming and strengthening collaboration to ensure regional stability and security. They reiterated that Nigeria’s commitment to good neighborliness would not be used to destabilize Niger or any neighboring countries.
Niger also agreed to resume active participation in the MNJT. General Barmou accepted an invitation from the CDS to visit Nigeria to finalize the cooperation modalities and establish a Nigerien advisory group to work with its Nigerian counterpart. This group will address mutual concerns and maintain communication lines between the two nations.
Additionally, the CDS paid a courtesy visit to the Nigerien Deputy Minister of National Defence, General Sani Kache.
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