The leaders of the West African Countries of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso on Saturday signed a confederation treaty “the Alliance of Sahel States” (AES), demonstrating their willingness to pursue a common route outside of a regional economic union that has urged them to return to democratic leadership.
The agreement occurred at the first summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), signaling a closer convergence between neighbors in the insurgency-torn central Sahel region.
Between 2020-2023, the leaders of the three States staged coups and cut connections with regional allies and Western countries, especially France.
General Abdourahamane Tiani, Niger’s military leader, lauded the AES conference as “the culmination of our determined common will to reclaim our national sovereignty”.
The pact establishing a confederation confirms Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso’s rejection of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The signing coincides with an ECOWAS conference aimed at convincing the three countries to reconsider their January decision to leave the bloc.
“Our peoples have irrevocably turned their backs on ECOWAS,” Tiani stated during a speech. “It is up to us today to make the AES Confederation an alternative to any artificial regional group by building… a community free from the control of foreign powers.”
In March, the three governments formed a unified force to address security concerns in their territory.
The three countries, suffocating from terrorism, announced the establishment of an anti-terrorism force to combat extremist rebellions in their respective countries, following discussions in Niamey about providing an immediate solution to shared security challenges in the West African region, in March.
“We have no doubt that with the joint efforts of our three countries, we will be successful in creating the conditions of joint security,”Niger’s army Chief, Moussa Salaou Barmou.
The tripartite force will be directed by a strategic approach to achieve military and security objectives.
This joint project reflects evolving geopolitical realities, as the three countries disengage themselves from former colonial power France in favor of tighter ties with Russia.
The move follows their multilateral partnership resulting in the “Alliance of Sahel States,” a defense agreement established in September, 2023, the objective of which was to create a federation.