A man is seen outside the Diori Hamani International airport in Niamey on Sept 22, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

NIAMEY - Niger and Burkina Faso have decided to withdraw from all the bodies of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel), effective from Nov 29, according to a joint press statement jointly released by the two countries on Saturday.

Last year, Mali withdrew from all organs and bodies of the G5 Sahel

Created on Dec 19, 2014 by Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Chad, the G5 Sahel was intended to "pool capacities and means to make the Sahel an area of security and development. However, it is clear that after 9 years of existence, the organization is struggling to achieve its objectives," said the statement.

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"The G5 Sahel cannot serve foreign interests to the detriment of our people, and even less the dictates of any power in the name of a partnership that treats them like children, denying the sovereignty of our peoples," said the statement.

Last year, Mali withdrew from all organs and bodies of the G5 Sahel.