The transitional leaders in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, comprising the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), are set to gather in Niger’s capital Niamey on Saturday for their inaugural summit.
The meeting, announced by the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland (CNSP) on Thursday, marks a significant step as the three transitional leaders—Asimi Goita, Ibrahim Traore, and Abdulrahman Tiani—deliberate on the formation of a confederation.
While the summit agenda remains unspecified, it is anticipated that discussions will center on the foundational documents governing the future confederation among the three countries.
Earlier in May, during a conclave in Niamey, the foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger adopted these texts, which now await approval by the Sahelian bloc’s heads of state.
Speaking at the 36th Crans Montana Forum in Brussels, Belgian from June 26 to 29, Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdoulaye Diop emphasized the region’s pursuit of a new approach to regional integration—one that prioritizes genuine people-centered integration over state-centric approaches.
Against the backdrop of escalating security challenges within their borders, the presidents of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger initially signed the Liptako-Gourma charter in September 2023, formally establishing the AES.
Recall, three months later, the nations announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), citing concerns over external influence. Additionally, they exited the G5 Sahel initiative, originally formed in 2014 with Mauritania and Chad.
