Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger call for joint 'large-scale operations' against extremists

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — The head of an alliance of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger declared Tuesday that the launch of a joint battalion “must be followed by large-scale operations in the coming days" in a region plagued by deadly extremism.

Burkina Faso leader Capt. Ibrahim Traoré gave no details in his comments after being named the new head of the Alliance of Sahel States, whose three military-led members withdrew from West Africa's regional bloc this year. The alliance formed in 2023.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are the most affected as the vast Sahel region south of the Sahara has become the deadliest place in the world for extremism, with armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. All three countries have seen coups in recent years and struggled with overstretched security forces.

The countries' leaders agreed in a summit Tuesday to boost security and economic ties, days after the weekend launch of the joint military battalion that's meant to fight the armed groups. It is expected to have 5,000 personnel.

The alliance has “put an end to all occupation forces in our countries,” said Niger’s junta leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, alluding to member states' decisions to kick out longtime partners France and the United States.

“No country or interest group will decide for our countries anymore,” Tchiani added.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, however, have turned to Russia as a major security ally.

The Sahel's complex security crisis remains “very difficult to defeat” no matter who’s engaged with the alliance, said Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel specialist with the Policy Center for the New South think tank in Morocco.

The second annual summit shows growing collaboration among the three countries despite fractured relations and coup-related sanctions from global partners, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The alliance “enjoys popularity among citizens of the three countries” and is trying to keep momentum going by deepening cooperation beyond cross-border military operations, Laessing said.

Captain Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, left, sits with General Assimi Goïta of Mali, during the second summit on security and development in Bamako, Mali, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Mali Government Information Center via AP)

General Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger attends the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) second summit on security and development in Bamako, Mali, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Mali Government Information Center via AP)

Burkina Faso's President Captain Ibrahim Traoré, second left, walks alongside Mali's President General Assimi Goïta during the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) second summit on security and development in Bamako, Mali, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Mali Government Information Center via AP)

Burkina Faso's President Captain Ibrahim Traoré, left, and Mali's President General Assimi Goïta stand during a welcome ceremony of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), to the second summit on security and development in Bamako, Mali, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Mali Government Information Center via AP)

Captain Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, left, General Assimi Goïta of Mali, center, and General Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger attend the second summit on security and development in Bamako, Mali, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Mali Government Information Center via AP)

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — The last time Ohio State and Miami met in a postseason football game, the Hurricanes spent a couple of seconds celebrating a victory that gave them back-to-back national championships.

And then The Flag came out.

The Hurricanes stopped celebrating. They haven't celebrated a title since.

It was Ohio State vs. Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the national championship for the 2002 season. Miami leads 24-17 in overtime, Ohio State throws into the end zone on fourth down, the ball hits the ground, one official signals it was an incomplete pass, and the game ends. Miami wins. Except it wasn't over. Miami doesn't win. Another official called pass interference to extend the drive, the Buckeyes scored to tie the game, then scored again in the second overtime and won the national title 31-24.

Next week, they meet again in a postseason game — the Cotton Bowl, with Ohio State being the team seeking back-to-back national titles. The Buckeyes (12-1) and Hurricanes (11-2) will face off in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal on New Year's Eve.

“It’s going to be a challenge for us offensively, but it’s a challenge that we’re looking forward to,” Miami quarterback Carson Beck said. “But we do recognize how talented they are, and we’re going to have to come and execute.”

And in fairness, the Hurricanes of 2002 did not execute as well as they needed against Ohio State. They turned the ball over five times and gave up four sacks. But all anyone remembers is the fourth-down play where Craig Krenzel threw to the right corner of the end zone, intended for Chris Gamble. Miami cornerback Glenn Sharpe defended, Gamble didn't make the catch, line judge Derick Bowers motioned the pass was incomplete and the Hurricanes started to jump for joy. Sean Taylor threw his helmet so high in the air in celebration that parts of it broke upon landing.

Then Terry Porter, the back judge, made the call. It did not go over well with everyone; even ABC analyst Dan Fouts twice said “bad call” while watching replays.

Porter has said over the years that he simply took an extra moment to make sure he got the call right.

“If you make a call and it’s right, the call goes away. If you make a call and the call is wrong, it never goes away. Ever,” Porter told the Stillwater News Press for a story published in August about his entry into that state's officiating Hall of Fame. “So just take your time and try to get it right. That’s what we all want to do. When you walk out at night, out of the place — football, basketball, I don’t care — you just want to have gotten it right.”

Beck wasn't even 2 months old when the Miami-Ohio State title game was played. What happened on Jan. 3, 2003, in theory, won't matter much to either side. After all, most of the players in this game weren't even born when that happened.

“We’re focused on the present," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “We’re focused on the present.”

But matchups are often about history, about nostalgia. The teams have played twice since that Fiesta Bowl — Ohio State won in 2010, Miami won in 2011 — but those games are registering nary a blip of attention right now.

“I think games like this, with two storied programs, I think people are always going to want to pull out history and draw comparisons and all that other stuff,” Cristobal said. “And moments like that, they’re valid. They’re real. It’s what makes college football awesome, the pageantry. But this game is the 2025 Hurricanes and Buckeyes going after it, to be determined by the 22 guys on the field one snap at a time. That’s going to be the focus. That’s where all our attention will be.”

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FILE - Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey, center, sits on the turf as Ohio State players celebrate their team's victory in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., Jan. 3, 2003. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)