UNGA: Burkina Faso warns against Libya scenario in Niger, slams “international hypocrisy”

In a speech lasting almost 40 minutes delivered in a vehement tone, Burkina Faso's Minister of State addressed the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Saturday (Sept. 23).

When Minister of State Bassolma Bazié took the floor before the green stone in the General Assembly, he honored the women and men who enabled the world to "dream and hope for a just and fair world".

However, he rapidly underlined that the world for which the said figures had dreamed, in fact, never dawned.

"Every year, countless speeches with promises and pledges are given", he said.  Adding this was evidenced by "the discrepancy between speeches and facts on matters of principles contained in the UN Charter, including justice, equality, dignity, integrity, the right to self-determination, the sovereignty of states, the inviolability of territory and respect for international law, is what can be observed in Libya, in the Sahel (more precisely Niger) and in the Russia-Ukraine crisis."

He warned that Niger could become a second Libya, strongly condemning the military intervention that preceded the death of late Libyan president Mouammar Gaddafi.

"Intellectual honesty and history", he stressed, "show us that we owe the Libyan people sincere apologies".

Regional body ECOWAS has threatened Niger with a military intervention to reinstate Mohamed Baezoum following the July 26 coup in which he was deposed.

Neighbouring Burkina Faso has repeatedly opposed the move. Just like Mali has.

On Saturday (Sep. 23), Malian Foreign Affairs minister maintained: "We will not sit on our hands", in the event of military intervention in Niger, Abdoulaye Diop said in his adress to the 78th session of the UNGA.

Terrorism and inequalities

State minister Bassolma Bazié also denounced in his lengthy address Africa’s lack of a permanent membership or veto rights in the Security Council. He called it as a “State crime” and “a crime of the UN”.

"Inequality throughout the world is deliberate", he insisted, listing what he sees as "the true wounds that poison coexistence", namely "the lies of States, diplomatic hypocrisy, thirst for power, the frenetic quest for profit, the diabolical spirit of domination, and exploitation of man by man."

According to the 2023 Global Terrorism Index, the Sahel region is the epicenter of terrorism accounting for more deaths from terrorism in 2022 than South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) combined.

Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia, Nigeria and Niger are hot spots.

Amid Burkina's fight against the insurgents, Bassolma Bazié claimed the delivery of "military equipment" the country had purchased by "the sweat of its people's brow" was being "blocked" in countries including Brazil, the USA, Belgium and Canada. And this, "at the instigation of France", he alleged.

The minister went on to present his government's action plan for stabilization and development. Among four priorities was fighting terrorism and restoring territorial integrity as well as responding to the humanitarian crisis.