The military rulers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have issued a rare unified condemnation of the United States’ seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
In a joint statement on Thursday, the Alliance of Sahel States described the US intervention that captured Maduro and his wife as a “grave act” that violated international law.
The statement, signed by Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traoré, decried the use of force against Venezuela’s sovereign government as “unacceptable interference” in internal affairs.
The alliance called on the United Nations Security Council to condemn the operation and help restore “international legality” in Venezuela.
The three West African states, united under the Sahel alliance since 2023, have increasingly distanced themselves from Western influence while deepening ties with Russia and Caracas.
Traoré, who leads the alliance, met Maduro in Moscow last year at celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II.
The Sahel bloc’s statement voiced solidarity with the Venezuelan people, saying their sovereignty had been “trampled upon” by foreign action.
United States special forces seized Maduro in a pre‑dawn raid in Caracas, then transported him to New York to face drug and weapons charges in federal court.
Maduro, a long‑standing leftist leader, pleaded not guilty in a defiant court appearance and said he had been “kidnapped” by US forces.
The alliance’s denunciation reflects broader global division over the unprecedented US operation, which has drawn criticism from major powers including Russia and members of the African Union.
The Sahel trio’s rebuke signals a deepening rift between these military regimes and Washington, underscoring widening geopolitical fault lines.