ECOWAS has lifted sanctions on Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso in a bid to reconcile with these nations after they announced their withdrawal from the regional bloc.
In a significant geopolitical shift within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have finalized plans to form a new confederation. This alliance, known as the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), marks a departure from their colonial ties with France and a move towards closer relations with Russia.
The announcement came after a meeting of the three nations’ foreign ministers in Niamey, the capital of Niger, on Friday, May 17, 2024. Niger’s Foreign Minister, Bakary Sangare, confirmed that the draft text outlining the institutionalization and operationalization of the AES has been finalized.
“The objective was to finalize the draft text relating to the institutionalization and operationalization of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States,” Sangare stated.
The Heads of State from the three countries are expected to formally adopt the text at an upcoming summit, the date of which has not yet been specified. Mali’s Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, declared, “We can consider very clearly, today, that the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States has been born.”
The decision by Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to leave ECOWAS underscores their determination to chart a new path under military rule. This move comes after they announced their exit from the regional body on January 28, 2024, criticizing ECOWAS for straying from the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism.
ECOWAS had imposed sanctions on these countries following military coups that toppled democratically elected governments. However, the bloc lifted the sanctions in February 2024, following intervention by Nigeria’s former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon.
This new alliance, the AES, represents a significant reconfiguration of alliances and power dynamics in the Sahel region, with potential implications for the broader West African geopolitical landscape.
