I would like to use this opportunity to pay tribute to all victims of the cowardly barbarism of terrorism who have sacrificed their lives. I also would like to pay tribute to our defense and security forces for their courage, their professionalism and their unwavering dedication in defending sovereignty, territorial integrity of our countries and protecting our people. I pay special tribute to the memory of the General Sadio Camara, Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs, whose legacy of patriotism, courage and sacrifice will continue to inspire future generations of Malians and people in the Sahel. Mr. president, to reinforce security and ensure the sustainable return of peace, the government is implementing a comprehensive and integrated strategy for stability and prosperity of our country, and for this, the state continues to extend a hand to all those willing to lay down their arms and return to the Republic, in line with the conclusions of Inter Malian dialogue and the National Charter for Peace and Reconciliation.

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It is with my heart full of the memory of thousands of children women and men from Burkina Faso Mali and Niger, innocent victims of terrorism that I am taking the floor here this morning. But it is also with a sense of pride, inspired by the resilience of the populations of the Sahel and the hope of the bravery of the defence and security forces of the Confederation, as well as the crucial role played by volunteers for the defense of the homeland that I am speaking here and having the noble mission of delivering this statement, I also wish to pay tribute to the families in mourning, to the long suffering communities and all of those whose lives have been affected by terrorist barbarism. For more than a decade, this blind and sustained violence has been sustained, armed, financed and instrumentalized by criminal networks and their supporters intent on subjugating the Sahel through fear. But they must understand that they will never succeed here. I bow down with profound respect before the memory of the Defence and Security Forces of the Confederation of Sahel states. Our volunteers, defence volunteers working for the motherland and all patriotic forces who have fallen in the field of honour. Evoking their memory, I spare a thought and pay tribute to Army general Sadio Camara, who was assassinated, murdered, cowardly on the 25th of April 2026, and pay tribute to his commitment to peace and to Mali and the Sahel.

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I would also like to commend the memory of the late General Sadio Camara, Minister of Defense of Mali, whose ultimate sacrifice will forever be associated with the history of the Confederation of the States of the Sahel. May Allah grant him eternal Paradise. Amen. Ladies and gentlemen, we remain open to any security cooperation, of course, which takes into account our strategic interests, mutual interests and respect for our sovereignty with Burkina Faso and Mali. Niger, within the Confederation of Sahel states, is developing cooperation that is focused on defense and security, diplomacy and development. This responds to a requirement for solidarity between peoples that face common challenges. On the 16th of September 2023 in Bamako, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso signed the Liptako-Gourma Charter, giving birth to the Alliance of Sahel States on the 6th of July 2024 in Niamey. Our three heads of state, President Assimi Goita of Mali, President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso and President Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger took the historic step of creating the Confederation of Sahel states. Two years later, the institutional structure of this confederation is practically complete. A unified force of 5000 men is conducting the coordinated fight against the mercenaries afflicting our three territories on our borders. This force can be mobilized to a ceiling of 15,000 men. That must be underscored. A confederation investment and development bank has been created. It finances our projects and programs using our own resources. A Confederation biometric passport has been in use since the 29th of January 2025. A television channel, a press agency and a shared radio carry the voice and the message of the AES. More recently, from the 26th to the 29th of August 2026, the first meetings of the Confederation Parliament were held in Niamey, thus completing our institutional architecture. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Niger is a country of peace. Truly a country of peace.

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