Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have officially formed a new confederation called the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States, marking a significant geopolitical shift in West Africa.
This new alliance signifies their departure from the Economic Community of West African States and a move toward closer ties with Russia.
The announcement was made after a meeting of the three nations’ foreign ministers in Niamey, the capital of Niger, on Friday, as reported by AFP. Niger’s Foreign Minister, Bakary Sangare, confirmed the completion of the draft text that outlines the structure and function of the AES.
“The objective was to finalise the draft text relating to the institutionalisation and operationalisation of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States,” Sangare said.
Mali’s Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, declared, “We can consider very clearly, today, that the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States has been born.”
Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, also participated in the crucial talks.
The heads of state of the three countries will formally adopt the confederation’s text at an upcoming summit, although the exact date has not been specified.
This new alliance comes after the three countries, currently under military rule, announced their exit from ECOWAS on January 28, 2024. They criticized the regional body for allegedly “moving away from the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism.”
ECOWAS, a 15-nation bloc formed in 1975 to promote economic integration, has struggled to address a wave of military takeovers in the region, including coups in Mali in 2020 and 2021, Burkina Faso in 2022, and Niger last year.
The sanctions imposed on these countries were lifted in February 2024 following the intervention of Nigeria’s ex-military head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon.
Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, stated that the decisions to lift the sanctions were made in the interest of unity and security in the African sub-region.
