The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the breakaway Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, have agreed to pursue cooperation based on good neighbourliness, mutual respect for sovereignty, and the dignity and well-being of West African citizens.
The agreement was reached at the first ministerial consultative meeting between the two regional blocs, held in Dakar, Senegal, from October 16 to 17, 2026, to lay the foundation for future structured cooperation.
According to the meeting’s final communiqué, both parties welcomed the spirit of fraternity, mutual respect and openness that characterised their discussions, while acknowledging the deep historical, sociocultural and economic ties binding their peoples.
The two sides also agreed to establish joint thematic working groups to conduct technical discussions aimed at developing a framework cooperation agreement between ECOWAS and the AES Confederation.
The outcomes of the working groups will be submitted to the ministers for consideration before their next meeting, whose date and venue will be determined through diplomatic consultations.
“The parties affirm their commitment to achieving a balanced and realistic cooperation framework that safeguards the interests of their respective peoples,” the communiqué stated.
The ECOWAS delegation was led by Senegal’s Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, Cheikh Niang, who also chairs the ECOWAS Council of Ministers.
The AES delegation was headed by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, who chairs the AES Ministerial Steering Committee. Both ministers co-chaired the meeting.
The Dakar meeting followed the first official consultations between the two sides in Bamako, Mali, in May 2025, when they explored areas of common interest for future structured engagement.
The development comes amid efforts to manage the political and diplomatic implications of the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from ECOWAS in January 2025.
The three countries, currently governed by military juntas, had accused the regional bloc of yielding to Western influence and abandoning the ideals of its founding fathers.
Their withdrawal followed a series of military coups that prompted ECOWAS to suspend the countries and impose sanctions in line with its 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
The regional bloc had also announced plans for possible military intervention in Niger to restore constitutional order, but subsequently stepped back from that position, lifted sanctions and pursued diplomatic engagement.
Despite their withdrawal, the three Sahel countries remain linked to other regional structures and continue to face shared economic and security challenges with ECOWAS member states.
Nigeria was represented at the Dakar meeting by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye.
A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said his participation underscored Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring that the departure of the AES countries did not undermine the longstanding cultural and geographical ties among West African nations.
ECOWAS, established in May 1975 through the Treaty of Lagos, is a regional economic bloc comprising 15 member states, with a combined population estimated at about 400 million people. Its core objectives include promoting economic development, regional integration and cooperation among member states.
The AES countries, meanwhile, continue to confront persistent terrorism and insurgency across the Sahel, a region widely regarded as one of the global epicentres of extremist violence.
The three countries are also strengthening military cooperation with Russia, following the deterioration of their diplomatic and military relations with France, their former colonial power.
However, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger remain members of the eight-country West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), which uses the CFA franc as its common currency.
The three countries also share economic and development challenges with their ECOWAS neighbours, including poverty, vulnerable economies and insecurity.
Against this backdrop, closer cooperation between ECOWAS and the AES is considered important for addressing cross-border terrorism, economic vulnerabilities and other regional challenges that require coordinated responses.
The Dakar consultations signal a willingness by both sides to explore practical areas of engagement despite their political differences and the AES countries’ decision to leave the regional bloc.
While the three countries may continue to pursue their regional alliance independently, cooperation with ECOWAS could help preserve economic links, strengthen security coordination and sustain longstanding ties among West African populations.
For ECOWAS, the renewed engagement also presents an opportunity to reassess its regional integration strategy and strengthen its relevance amid evolving political and security dynamics across West Africa.
0 Comments