Security, trade, air services top Nigeria, Mali talks

By Ochiaka Ugwu

Nigeria and Mali have agreed to hold a Joint Commission soon to revitalise some dormant bilateral agreements between the two countries.
This was the highpoint of a diplomatic engagement between both countries when the Ambassador of Mali to Nigeria, Oumar Coulibaly paid a courtesy visit on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu in Abuja.
The minister said that Nigeria and Mali had had very cordial bilateral relations, noting that the exit of the Sahel states of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger would not make them jettison their relationship.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu pointed out that the two countries needed to cooperate militarily to address the security situation in the Sahel occasioned by terrorism and banditry.
Harping on the Joint Commission, the minister said that it was a veritable platform to reactivate bilateral agreements, stressing that security, trade, energy, irregular migration/human trafficking, Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) and others would top areas of cooperation.
“This meeting is long overdue,” the minister said, adding that “Nigeria and Mali share common objectives and goals. We need to deepen bilateral relations.”
Regardless of happenings in the region, Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that Nigeria believes that it should keep its doors open for Mali; “We as a nation believe that we should forge closeness”
The minister stated: “We know what the security situation is in the Sahel. For us, the joint commission is the most viable platform to cooperate, and this could give opportunity for starting security cooperation to tackle terrorism.
“Energy is another area that we could cooperate. We are bothered about the energy shortage in Mali. What happens to Mali is important to Nigeria. We have to create ease of movement and people to people contacts is very important to us.
“The issue we are experiencing across the Sahel needs a broader participation. We need a purposeful working security agreement. This will continue to contribute to peace and security across the West Africa region.”
The minister, then, conveyed the sympathies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the people of Nigeria to Mali over the recent wave of rebel attacks in the country which claimed the life of its Defence Minister, General Sadio Camara on April 25, this year.
Ambassador Coulibaly, who called Nigeria a big brother, could not agree less.
According to him, there may be issues at the regional level,but as Africans, Nigeria and Mali must continue to relate bilaterally.
He called for a political dialogue between both countries ahead of the proposed Joint Commission.
“A political dialogue and the joint commission will address the challenges of human trafficking and the common security issues faced by our two countries,” he stated.