3 Military-Led Sahel Countries, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso Resume Talks With ECOWAS
Three military-led Sahel countries, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, returned to the negotiating table with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Saturday, more than 18 months after they pulled out of the regional bloc.
The three countries, all ruled by juntas that seized power between 2020 and 2023, formally exited ECOWAS in January 2025 after forming their own bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States.
Although ECOWAS and the AES have been in discussions since January 2025, Saturday’s session was the first official ministerial-level meeting.
Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, led the AES delegation, while his Senegalese counterpart, Cheikh Niang, headed the ECOWAS team.
In a joint communique issued on Saturday evening, both parties commended the “spirit of fraternity, mutual respect and openness” that characterised the talks.
They also underscored the need to sustain cordial relations as neighbours, with an emphasis on respecting each other’s sovereignty.
The two blocs further resolved to establish joint thematic working groups to fashion out a framework cooperation agreement.
The AES military governments have severed ties with France, their former colonial ruler, and have also grown distant from some sub-regional countries, such as Côte d’Ivoire and Benin, which they accuse of being too close to Paris.
