DGAP: Mr. President, plans for an international operation in Mali expected an intervention in fall 2013—now that timetable has to be moved up. Did the rebels’ advance a few weeks ago surprise you?
Alassane Ouattara: No. I have been dealing with the Mali crisis since taking office as ECOWAS chairman last spring. Europeans had planned an intervention in Mali for September 2013. But it soon became clear to ECOWAS that we would not be able to wait that long. We have thus been working on a Plan B since November. We wanted to be ready for an operation as soon as the UN Security Council passed a resolution. The general staffs of our member states already began assembling the necessary battalions in November. Since then, we have commanded a response force of 2,500 soldiers.
We are also cooperating with countries that neighbor Mali in order to seal off the borders and hinder terrorists from fleeing. We were ready because we knew what could happen.
DGAP: What is the biggest challenge for the region and for neighboring countries?
Ouattara: The situation in Mali is extremely unsettling for the entire region. The occupation of northern Mali, the advance of the rebels—it is an unacceptable situation. Now we must quickly expel the rebels not only from Mali, but from all of West Africa. It is essential for restoring the country’s territorial integrity.
At the same time, the humanitarian situation calls for our full attention. Hundreds of thousands of people are on the run in Mali and in neighbor states. Their situation has continually deteriorated due to the rebels’ advance. We ultimately hope to hold democratic elections in Mali in order to reestablish legitimate leadership in the country.
DGAP: What are the next steps for ECOWAS?
Ouattara: Our troops are ready. Three days ago, I signed a mobilization order as ECOWAS chairman. We appointed a commander and a deputy, both of whom are now in Bamako. And other contributing nations are establishing headquarters there as well.
We hope to be able to bring our forces into the conflict area in a few days. Depending on their training and equipment, they will either work with the Malian army to hunt the terrorists or help train the Malian army together with French or German soldiers. This will allow Mali to retain control over its entire territory.
The most important thing for us now is to complete our equipment. We continue to suffer from some deficits and are relying on support from the international community. We still lack tanks and transport aircraft, as well as humanitarian aid.
DGAP: If you succeed in defeating the terrorists in Mali, won’t they just move on to the next country? Just as soldiers in Gaddafi’s defeated army did…
Ouattara: The terrorists’ strength is their weaponry. They mostly brought these back from Libya, where they could equip themselves very well.
But the terrorists originally consisted of only 500 to 600 men. Over the past few months, the number of combatants has risen to 4000 to 5000—certainly most of them are not terrorists! The Islamists have merely recruited young people in Mali and in neighboring countries. This was not very difficult because they were able to offer them weapons and money. But as soon as the imminent defeat of the terrorists becomes clear, these mercenaries will run off.
French air strikes mean that the terrorists’ heavy weaponry will be destroyed. This is an important contribution for our troops on the ground. The Islamists will not be able to obtain new heavy weapons. Mali’s neighbor states have now closed their borders, and Libya has done this as well. If the Islamists in Mali try to move north, they will not be able to move beyond the Algerian border. They will no longer be able to supply themselves with Algerian fuel.
DGAP: How can the country succeed in bringing about lasting stabilization after the combat operation?
Ouattara: It has to succeed. We need to help the Malian government maintain long-term security in the country. To this end, we are training their armed forces and helping to rebuild the country’s infrastructure. This is not something that can be achieved overnight. We have budgeted for one year.
My organization will do everything it can to help the transition process in Mali succeed. We have already agreed that anyone who holds responsibility during the transitional phase will not be allowed to stand for office later, in case they would try to influence matters in their favor beforehand. In addition, we will impose sanctions on any country that seeks to hinder this process.
As soon as we have the security and humanitarian situations somewhat under control, we will turn our attention to the political dimension of the conflict and hold elections.
DGAP: And you have adopted an ambitious timetable for elections.
Ouattara: Yes, we would like to hold elections by June. The rainy season begins after that, which would endlessly delay things and see the possible rise of new political difficulties. We are thus trying to accelerate things.
DGAP: What is the African Union doing?
Ouattara: The African Union has been very cooperative. We are in close agreement regarding Mali. But we should particularly rely on regional institutions in such a crisis. The AU is too far away to know exactly what is going on in Mali. We know West Africa better, and that is why ECOWAS has taken the lead in this operation.
DGAP: What do you expect from Germany? The federal government has already promised transport aircraft and humanitarian aid…
Ouattara: The Mali mission is an international operation. The French were the first to intervene, but this is not an exclusively “Francophone” intervention in which only ECOWAS, Mali, and France are allowed to participate. The Mali crisis and the anti-terror operation concern everyone: the entire international community, including Germany and the EU. We are not only calling upon the French to take part, but also the Germans. I am very thankful to Germany for its support in sending two Transall aircraft to transport troops, but also for their financial and military contributions. We would be happy if Germany also sends troops as the French have!
I said this already at the Bundestag: Berlin should not feel under pressure from Paris. Of course Germany is active in the international community and has forces in Afghanistan—it is the French who have drawn down there…
DGAP: But France appears to remain an indispensable actor in Africa
Ouattara: Not anymore if Germany joins in! Then it would not just be France on its own anymore. Then we would really be talking about Europe. The EU is so important for Germany. It is thus vital that Germany takes part in the intervention in Mali.
DGAP: Is EU integration a model for West Africa?
Ouattara: Upon taking office, I set a goal of strengthening democracy and integration in West Africa—and I have held true to this goal despite the Mali crisis. To be more concrete, I would like to establish a West African Electoral Commission to monitor elections in our countries and stabilize democracy.
Overall, ECOWAS has already come a long way and has achieved much in the area of economic cooperation. We will begin at the state and government level by talking about when a debate on political integration can begin. We can already build upon our own integration experiences at the state level and in the economic sphere.
Nigeria is a federal state just like Germany. And eight ECOWAS members have already established a currency union. Why shouldn’t these countries develop a federation in the future? Today, any single country is overburdened with a number of tasks such as maintaining a full army or a diplomatic service. This is true not only in West Africa, but on the entire continent, where regional unions can also be found in central and southern Africa. This makes individual states more capable of action and influential on the international stage—as the example of ECOWAS has already shown.
DGAP: Mr. President, thank you for talking with us.
The interview was conducted by Lucas Lypp, online editor.
ALASSANE OUATTARA is president of the Ivory Coast and chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
