Sahel States Declare WAR at the UN Security Council -The West Trembles

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:03]this statement on behalf of the member countries of the Confederation of the Sahel AES, namely Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali, and the Republic of Niger.

[00:00:13]I extend our warm congratulations to the Chinese presidency [music] of the Security Council for organizing this public meeting dedicated to the protection of civilians in situations of armed conflict.

[00:00:24]This topic is of urgent relevance for the three member countries of the AES Confederation who have been fighting for more than a decade against terrorism, violent extremism, and other forms of transnational organized crime supported by foreign state sponsors.

[00:00:39]The terrorists and their foreign sponsors are primarily responsible for the deaths of thousands of our people, including women and children.

[00:00:47]In defiance of the law and the principles of humanity, these criminal groups target defenseless civilian populations engaging in murders, looting, forced displacement of people, the ransacking and desecration of places of worship, the plundering and destruction of agricultural production, as well as cattle theft.

[00:01:05]They are also responsible for the destruction of civilian infrastructure, notably schools, health centers, and water and energy facilities.

[00:01:14]They also attack economic activities and supply routes in our countries.

[00:01:19]To put an end to these organized transnational crimes and to create the conditions for sustainable development for the benefit of our popular of the Sahelian populations, their excellencies, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, President of Faso and head of state, Army General Assimi Goïta, President of the Republic, President of the transition of Mali and head of state, and Army General Abdourahamane Tiani, President of the Republic of Niger and head of state, have in full sovereignty decided to pool the efforts of the three countries in the areas of defense, diplomacy, and development.

[00:01:55]Thus, under their leadership, the fighting forces of the member states of the Confederation, as well as its unified force, remain committed day and night to ensuring the protection of children, women, and the elderly, civilian victims of the barbaric and criminal acts perpetrated by these terrorists and their foreign state sponsors. With honor and professionalism, these men and women fight at the risk of their lives to guarantee all populations, without any distinction, their subsistence and their basic human rights, especially the right to life.

[00:02:28]I pay a heartfelt tribute here to our confederal forces for their commitment and their sacrifices.

[00:02:34]In such a context, the AES Confederation firmly condemns all the false narratives crafted by certain media outlets from imperialist countries that have become relays for terrorist propaganda and strive to cast doubt on the integrity, professionalism, and discipline of the soldiers of the Sahel.

[00:02:50]These deceitful media remain silent, yes, remain curiously silent about the daily successes achieved by our defense and security forces against these forces of evil.

[00:02:59]We call for an immediate end.

[00:03:03]We call for the immediate end of this daily media terrorism of which our countries and our people are victims.

[00:03:09]We also call for the drying up of sources of terrorist financing, including the payment of ransoms for the release of hostages.

[00:03:16]The AES Confederation once again denounces the subversive agenda of certain member states of United Nations organizations whose ultimate goal is to reimpose their hegemony in our countries.

[00:03:26]The AES Confederation pays particular attention to the victims of terrorism, both civilian and military.

[00:03:32]Each of its member states has strategies and programs aimed at assisting affected populations, including refugees and internally displaced. We welcome the press statement of May 15th, 2026, in which the Security Council, your council, strongly condemns the coordinated terrorist attacks against cities, such as those several Malian cities on April 25th, 2026 and expresses its compass its compassion and solidarity with Mali, its people, and its and its and its authorities.

[00:04:02]The message from the AES Confederation is clear and unequivocal.

[00:04:06]Our countries remain standing and determined to fight against international terrorism.

[00:04:10]We remain committed to protecting our civilian populations under all circumstances and in accordance with our international commitments, particularly in the areas of human rights and international humanitarian law.

[00:04:22]I conclude by paying heartfelt tribute to all victims of terrorism, both Sahelian and foreign, civilian and military alike, with a special thought for the victims of the events of April 25th, 2026 in Mali.

[00:04:34]I salute the admirable resilience of the Sahelian populations in the face of the difficult situation our countries are going through. Finally, I reaffirm the determination of the member states of the AES Confederation to fight against terrorism and violent extremism within our shared space. Thank you.

[00:04:54]>> [music] [music] >> It's a matter of human rights, Mr. President.

[00:05:07]>> [music] >> International organizations have accused you of suppressing the independent press and civil society.

[00:05:15]Is there a place for human rights in Burkina Faso there? There are human rights in Burkina Faso. What do they even mean by human rights?

[00:05:24]But me, I don't know what they're thinking.

[00:05:26]You know, no one is going to come here, fund people, indoctrinate them to destroy our countries. That will not happen, you know? Do you realize how many NGOs there are in Burkina? You can imagine, do some research. It's not just hundreds, but it's a lot.

[00:05:39]I'm not going to give you the number. Do some research. Look up each NGO, do what?

[00:05:45]Do you really believe it's Thank you very much humanitarian?

[00:05:50]So there are things like that which we fight against. They say we're fighting against human rights. Is that what human rights are? We are fighting against terrorism to secure our people.

[00:05:58]So we are giving our people the right to life. That's the most fundamental right, isn't it? The right to life.

[00:06:05]Aren't we fighting for human rights?

[00:06:08]We are fighting so that closed schools can reopen so that children can go to school.

[00:06:13]Isn't the right to education a human right?

[00:06:16]Who is fighting for us?

[00:06:18]Who is helping us? The same people who cry out every day about human rights.

[00:06:22]None of them have given us a single cartridge to fight against the terrorism that kills our children, to fight against the terrorism that closes our schools, that destroys our schools.

[00:06:32]That means the terrorists are fighting against human rights. We are fighting for human rights and they are the ones encouraging the terrorists. Who is fighting against human rights? They're the ones saying it.

[00:06:43]And I'm going to talk to you right now about some things happening in Europe and elsewhere.

[00:06:48]But it's over there that they're fighting against human rights. Otherwise here, human rights exist. And remember something, human rights come from Africa. They don't come from anywhere else.

[00:06:59]They come from Africa and from West Africa. Here.

[00:07:03]The first charters that spoke about human rights were here in the AIS Confederation, more specifically in Mali.

[00:07:13]So, human rights were known by Africans.

[00:07:16]We were well organized, a well-structured society. Everyone had their rights, even women's rights.

[00:07:21]It was in Africa that women's rights existed.

[00:07:25]Elsewhere they didn't exist. And it's those people who want to talk to us about women's rights or human rights.

[00:07:31]They don't know any rights at all.

[00:07:34]Who talks about human rights? Who has a habit of bombing children?

[00:07:38]Who is bombing children everywhere, dropping bombs indiscriminately, killing children, and so on. Is that what they call human rights? That's not what we do.

[00:07:47]We fight for the lives of our people.

[00:07:50]We protect them.

[00:07:52]Our soldiers die to protect them.

[00:07:55]We do everything to open our schools, to educate them.

[00:07:58]We do everything to subsidize our farmers, to develop agriculture, so that people can eat their fill.

[00:08:03]We do everything to dig wells, so that people have access to clean drinking water.

[00:08:08]Who is fighting against human rights?

[00:08:11]It's them.

[00:08:13]They have no respect for human rights.

[00:08:16]The VDP accused of serious violations.

[00:08:19]Where are the promised investigations?

[00:08:22]Those who say that the VDP are accused of serious violations, what proof have they presented?

[00:08:29]We ourselves.

[00:08:31]If we have caught VDP involved in certain acts, they are in prison.

[00:08:35]Those VDP are in prison. They know where they are. And we have said that anyone This It's not someone else. Listen, we are adults.

[00:08:43]We are adults. No one should see us as subhuman.

[00:08:47]We know what we are doing.

[00:08:48]And it's this mentality as well that is dangerous.

[00:08:51]Because often some leaders in the West and all that see Africans as subhuman.

[00:08:56]And so they come here as if it's to teach us things. I told you that the right to life, it's us who teach that to the rest of the world.

[00:09:03]No one teaches us that. So, it's true that there have been a few small problems with some people, VDP. There are some who have committed abuses and other things. They are in prison. We have no qualms about that.

[00:09:15]Now, all that they're saying they've put in place, what proof?

[00:09:19]Nothing.

[00:09:21]It's us. When people accuse us, we conduct investigations.

[00:09:25]And very often we end up finding what we call treachery.

[00:09:29]The terrorists, they come, they carry out massacres in certain places, often wearing our uniforms. Sometimes people even say it's the army.

[00:09:37]And then they leave. They came dressed in army uniforms. Yes, but it's not us.

[00:09:42]They put on our flags, all our insignias, and then they come and do it.

[00:09:46]And the terrorists publish videos.

[00:09:49]That's it.

[00:09:50]But why don't they see us? The terrorists post videos on social media where they're wearing our uniforms, our gear, and everything.

[00:09:57]They go out and carry out actions.

[00:09:59]And then afterwards, they film footage of these individuals to claim that it's an army force. They're well aware because they're the ones who go there themselves.

[00:10:07]How did they manage to establish a channel with the terrorists to get images? How do they do it? There are even people who have the nerve to tell us that they filmed. I remember once an NGO claimed that by satellite image, they saw Malians committing abuses.

[00:10:22]They aren't even ashamed.

[00:10:23]They don't have the sense to realize that what they're saying is wrong.

[00:10:28]Why do I say they lack intelligence?

[00:10:29]It's because they see black people as less than human.

[00:10:32]Otherwise, if you have the capability to use satellites to see forces committing abuses, but you don't have the capability to use satellites to see the terrorists, then you're insulting us. Here, our entire struggle is for the survival and security of our people.

[00:10:49]And we live well.

[00:10:51]We live well. We are in good harmony.

[00:10:54]Otherwise, well, we wouldn't be able to go wherever we want.

[00:10:57]And that's it. We wouldn't be able to act. You can travel around Burkina.

[00:11:01]You can go anywhere, anywhere you want.

[00:11:04]You'll see what's changing in Burkina, what the people appreciate about our revolution and everything.

[00:11:08]And it will do you a lot of good.

[00:11:12]>> [music] [music]