Niamey, Niger – The military leaders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso signed a confederation treaty on Saturday in a move defying pressure from a regional bloc. This new alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), marks a clear break with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has been urging the three countries to return to civilian rule following coups in recent years.
The signing, which took place at the inaugural AES summit, underscores a deepening partnership between the neighbors battling Islamist insurgencies in the central Sahel region. General Abdourahamane Tiani, Niger’s military leader, described the summit as a symbol of “reclaiming our national sovereignty.”
This move directly challenges ECOWAS, a 15-nation bloc Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso previously belonged to. The timing is significant, as it comes just a day before an ECOWAS summit where leaders had hoped to convince the three countries to reconsider their January decision to leave.
“Our people have definitively turned their backs on ECOWAS,” declared Tiani in a speech. He envisioned the AES as an alternative “free from the control of foreign powers.”
While details on the extent of political, economic, and defense cooperation within the AES remain unclear, the three countries have already agreed to establish a joint security force and pool resources for infrastructure projects in mining, energy, and agriculture. Additionally, they plan to create an investment bank and a stabilization fund.
