From July 19 to 21, the Niger International Conference titled “Solidarity with the People of the Sahel” was successfully held at the Mahatma Gandhi International Conference Center in Niamey, the capital of Niger.
The conference was organized by Pan-Africanism Today (PAT) and the West African People’s Organization (WAPO), sponsored by the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) of Niger, and supported by Niger’s head of state and CNSP chairman, Abdourahamane Tiani.
The “Solidarity with the People of the Sahel” conference brought together approximately 150 participants, including delegations from organizations such as the World Anti-Imperialist Platform, representatives from Cuba, Venezuela, Kenya, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, and members of diaspora organizations, progressive parties, labor unions, and progressive groups in Niger.
The central theme of the Niger Conference was “For Anti-Imperialist Unity, Peace, and Friendship between Peoples.” Organizers stated that the conference aimed to draw urgent global attention to the patriotic struggles of the Sahel people for peace, sovereignty, dignity, and prosperity, as well as to discuss the future outlook of these movements in their fight against French and Western imperialism and their local proxies.
The countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger each expelled French and U.S. forces through military coups. Following this, in response to military threats from ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), which is backed by Western powers, the three countries withdrew from ECOWAS in July and announced the formation of the Sahel States Alliance (AES).
The organizers emphasized that “an unprecedented patriotic uprising by the people and armed forces has achieved the strategic milestone of establishing the AES within just two years,” calling this “a significant step toward the vision of a united Africa shared by all Pan-Africanists and anti-imperialists.”
They further added that the “anti-imperialist conference in solidarity with the Sahel people has inspired greater awareness and solidarity for the Sahel region among peoples across West Africa, Africa, and the entire world.”
The conference consisted of five sessions over three days: ‘Imperialism on Rampage: Signs of the End’, ‘Women in the Pan-African Struggle’, ‘The Emergence of Sahel States: A Second Independence’ , ‘Youth in the Pan-African Struggle’, ‘What Is the path to Continental Unity’.
The conference concluded with the adoption of the “Niamey Declaration.”
After the conference, a rally and march titled “Popular Solidarity Connecting the Struggle of the Sahel with the Palestinian Struggle” took place. The march began at the Mahatma Gandhi International Conference Center and ended in front of Thomas Sankara memorial, the iconic African revolutionary leader.
