The leaders of the juntas in power in Mali and Burkina Faso - two sub-Saharan countries under attack from Islamist groups - have decided to "strengthen their military partnership".

This was stated today by the office of the president of Burkina Faso, reported France Press and the French newspaper "Figaro", quoted by BTA.

Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who came to power in a coup in January, spoke in Bamako with his Malian counterpart, Col. Assimi Goita, who also took power in a coup in May 2021.

This is the first visit abroad for the leader of the junta in Burkina Faso.

The common border of the two countries is over a thousand kilometers long;

jihadists often launch deadly attacks in the area.

"We think it is better to explore and strengthen our military partnership in order to identify even more surely the security challenges facing our peoples," Burkina Faso's leader said in a communique.

His words were confirmed by a communique from the Malian presidential office.

In late August, Burkina Faso and Niger, also under attack by these jihadist groups, invited Bamako to "re-assume its responsibility" under sub-regional cooperation in the fight against terrorists, after Mali decided in May to withdraw from the G5 Sahel group and its anti-jihadist coalition, mentioning that it is "losing its autonomy" in the organization, which includes Mauritania and Chad in addition to these three countries.

The Malian junta gradually turned its back on France and its allies, turning towards Russia.

Pushed out, the French army handed over its bases in Mali to the authorities and in August left after nine years of fighting the jihadists.

Russia has delivered helicopters and fighter jets to Mali

On Monday, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba will speak with another leader of a neighboring country - the president of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara.

According to official data, more than 40 percent of the territory of Burkina Faso is outside the control of the state, and this year terrorist attacks there have become more frequent.