Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have finalised plans to form a new confederation, the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States, marking a geopolitical shift in the region.
Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have made a significant move away from their former colonial ruler, France, and towards closer ties with Russia.
Jerrymusa.com reports that this development was announced following a meeting of the three nations’ foreign ministers in Niger’s capital, Niamey, on Friday, as reported by AFP.
Final Plans Ongoing
Niger’s Foreign Minister, Bakary Sangare, confirmed the finalization of the draft text outlining the institutionalization and operationalization of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
“Our objective was to finalize the draft text relating to the institutionalization and operationalization of the AES,” Sangare said. “We can clearly consider today that the AES has been born,” declared Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop.
The Heads of State of the three countries will formally adopt the text at an upcoming summit, although the exact date has not been specified. Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore also participated in the crucial talks.
The 15-nation bloc of ECOWAS, formed in 1975 to promote economic integration in member states, has struggled in recent years to reverse a wave of military takeovers in the region.
The three countries, currently under military rule, announced their exit from ECOWAS on January 28, 2024, citing the regional body’s alleged departure from its founding ideals and pan-Africanism.
However, the sanctions were lifted in February 2024 following the intervention of Nigeria’s ex-military head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, said the decisions were taken in the interest of unity and security in the African sub-region.