Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Form New Confederation After Exiting ECOWAS

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic have made a significant geopolitical move by establishing a new confederation known as the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This decision comes after their departure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Instead of maintaining their former colonial ties with France, the three nations have opted for a closer alignment with Russia. The announcement of this strategic shift was made in Niger’s capital, Niamey, following a meeting of the foreign ministers from the three countries.

Bakary Sangare, Niger’s Foreign Minister, confirmed that they have finalized the draft text that will govern the new alliance, aiming to institutionalize and operationalize the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States. Mali’s Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, expressed that the birth of this confederation is now a clear reality.

The heads of state are expected to formally adopt this text at an upcoming summit, although the exact date has not been confirmed yet.

It is worth noting that Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, played a significant role in these crucial discussions. ECOWAS, a regional bloc consisting of 15 member countries, was established in 1975 with the aim of promoting economic integration.

However, it has faced challenges in dealing with recent military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. As a result, these three countries, now under military rule, have decided to exit ECOWAS and form a new alliance.

They issued a joint statement on January 28, 2024, criticizing ECOWAS for allegedly deviating from its founding principles and pan-African ideals.

Although sanctions were initially imposed after the coups, they were lifted in February 2024 following mediation by Nigeria’s former military leader, Gen. Yakubu Gowon. Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, emphasized that these decisions were made to ensure unity and security within the region.