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Ambassadors

Taliban's Acting Ambassador Meets with Burkina Faso Counterpart in Iran

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Taliban-controlled media reported a meeting between acting Afghan Ambassador to Iran Maulvi Fazl Mohammad Haqqani and Burkina Faso Ambassador Mohammad Kabura in Tehran, as part of a broader outreach effort by the West African country to establish new trade partners. The two ambassadors emphasized cooperation in trade, agriculture, mining, and vocational training, and pledged to have private sector delegations visit soon to develop trade between Afghanistan and Burkina Faso. This move comes amidst a security crisis in the Sahel region, where Burkina Faso has struggled with a militant insurgency and has turned to Russia for military support.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Taliban's acting ambassador met with his Burkina Faso counterpart in Tehran, Iran, as part of a broader outreach effort by the West African country to establish new trade partners.
  • The two ambassadors pledged to cooperate on trade, mining, and vocational training, and emphasized the expansion of cooperation in these fields.
  • Both ambassadors agreed to have private sector delegations visit soon as part of the plan to develop trade between Afghanistan and Burkina Faso.
  • Burkina Faso has been seeking alternative trade partners after leaving the regional bloc ECOWAS and creating their own security partnership, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
  • Iran has been trying to boost cooperation with the Sahel AES countries, and has sent aid to Burkina Faso, including a recent shipment to Ouagadougou airport.
  • The meeting comes amidst a security crisis in the Sahel region, where Burkina Faso has struggled with a militant insurgency and has turned to Russia for military support.

Statistics:

  • 23 million: the population of Burkina Faso.
  • 2021: the year the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.
  • 2 decades: the duration of war in Afghanistan prior to the Taliban's overthrow.
  • 12,000: the number of migrants who have arrived in the UK by crossing the Channel so far this year.
  • $23 million: the annual trade value between Afghanistan and Burkina Faso, according to the Afghan embassy in Tehran.
  • $50 million: the annual aid sent by Iran to Burkina Faso, according to Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Sources:

  • "Afghan embassy in Tehran releases a statement on the meeting between the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate and the Ambassador of Burkina Faso."
  • "Niger's Minister of the Interior, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Toumba signs a memorandum of understanding with the Iranian police."
  • The Associated Press, quoting Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Bamako.

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