Alliance of Sahel States

The Alliance of Sahel States (French: Alliance des États du Sahel (AES)) is a confederation formed between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. It originated as a mutual defense pact created on 16 September 2023 following the 2023 Nigerien crisis, in which the West African political bloc ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily to restore civilian rule after a coup in Niger earlier that year. All three member states are former members of ECOWAS and currently under the control of juntas following a string of successful coups, the 2021 Malian coup d'état, the September 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état, and the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état. The confederation was established on 6 July 2024.
Within the territory of the AES, there are various terrorist and insurgent groups including ISSP, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, and various separatist groups fighting in Northern Mali such as the Azawad Movement. The war against these groups has been assisted by both French and United States troops, with further assistance from UN peacekeeping forces. In 2024, the AES cut off military relations with Western powers and replaced Western military forces on their territory with Russian mercenaries, specifically the Wagner Group. The AES has expressed strong opposition to Ukrainian support of rebels in the Sahel after comments by Ukrainian officials in August 2024 stating they had supported separatists that killed Malian soldiers. The AES has called on the United Nations to take action against Ukraine and accused Ukraine of supporting terrorism in the Sahel. As a result, Mali and Niger have severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine. In response, Sweden severed several million krona worth of aid to Mali and cut diplomatic ties.
The confederation's stated goal is to pool resources to build energy and communications infrastructure, establish a common market, implement a monetary union under proposed currency, allow free movement of persons, enable industrialization, and invest in agriculture, mines and the energy sector, with the end goal of federalizing into a single sovereign state. The confederation is against neocolonialism and has demonstrated this with acts such as renaming of colonial street names. It is also anti-French and anti-ECOWAS in outlook, as it disagrees with many of their policies.
The economic outlook for AES countries is positive (Burkina 5.494%, Mali 3.751%, and Niger 9.869% GDP growth in 2024), with Niger becoming the 3rd fastest growing economy in the world and the fastest growing economy in Africa in 2024.
A project to set up passport and identity card travel documents between the three member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States is part of a more advanced integration between the member states of the Alliance of Sahel States, before approval of the project by the three heads of state of the member countries.
The Sahel has been the site of an ongoing jihadist insurgency since 2003, which has led to many conflicts in the region, such as the Mali War and the Boko Haram insurgency. All three member states have had their pro-Western civilian governments overthrown by their militaries, and each is ruled by a military junta as part of the Coup Belt. In 2022, Mali withdrew from the internationally backed G5 Sahel alliance. Niger and Burkina Faso did so in 2023, leading to announcement of the dissolution of the framework by its last two members Chad and Mauritania three days later.
In the 2020 Malian coup d'état, Assimi Goïta and the National Committee for the Salvation of the People seized power in Mali after overthrowing the elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. Goïta later led a second coup in 2021 which deposed the interim president Bah Ndaw who had been nominated to lead a transitional military government.
Just months later, in the 2021 Guinean coup d'état, the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development removed the elected president Alpha Condé and installed Mamady Doumbouya as transitional president. Guinea is not a member of the AES, but has been offering diplomatic support to the confederation.
A faction of Burkina Faso's military overthrew their existing military government in the September 2022 coup d'état, installing Ibrahim Traoré over Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had come to power in the January 2022 coup d'état which toppled the democratic government of president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.
Most recently, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland removed the elected government of Niger's Mohamed Bazoum, installing Abdourahamane Tchiani and a new junta in the 2023 coup d'état.
All three of the alliance's member states were suspended by ECOWAS shortly after the ouster of their elected governments. After the coup in Niger, ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily and restore president Bazoum's government, resulting in a regional crisis. The juntas of Mali and Burkina Faso promised military aid to Niger in the event of an intervention, while Guinea's provided diplomatic support. The promises of military aid resulted in the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States as a mutual defense bloc for the three nations, successfully staving off an ECOWAS intervention.
On 28 January 2024, the three countries announced via a joint statement that they were withdrawing from ECOWAS. With the situation at an impasse, later that year ECOWAS appointed three mediators to begin dialogues with the AES countries. Soon after, on December 15, 2024, the Conference of Heads of State of ECOWAS adopted an exit transition period for Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, which begins on January 29, 2025 and ends on July 29, 2025. The AES has rejected the timetable extension proposed by ECOWAS for their withdrawal and is adhering to the January 2025 withdrawal timeline.
In May 2024 at a meeting in Niamey, representatives of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger finalized a draft text creating the AES, with its objective to finalize the details of the project before the signature of an official treaty.
On 6 July 2024, at a summit in Niamey, the leaders of the states of the AES signed a confederation treaty to strengthen the existing mutual defense pact, assorted with the release of a 25 point communique. This included agreement on a one-year rotating presidency, chaired by one of the leader of the country currently holding the presidency. Assimi Goïta, the current interim president of the republic of Mali, started his term on the same day, and it was agreed that the first joint parliamentary summit of the AES would be hosted in Burkina Faso.
On January 29, 2025, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formally withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after providing the required 1 year notice. AES countries were all founding members of ECOWAS 50 years ago on 28 May 1975.
To consolidate their exit from ECOWAS and strengthen their alliance, the three countries began circulating new AES passports on January 29 and announced a new unified 5,000-strong military unit will soon join the fight against jihadists and terrorists on AES territory.
Details of how ECOWAS will treat AES citizens are to be worked out, but until further notice ECOWAS says it will continue to recognize passports and identity cards bearing the ECOWAS logo held by citizens from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. AES citizens will continue to enjoy the right of visa-free movement, residence, and establishment in accordance with ECOWAS protocols and goods and services from the three countries will be treated under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and investment policy until further notice.
The withdrawal has resulted in ECOWAS losing 76 million of its 446 million people and a significant portion of its total geographical land area. The AES is now geographically larger than ECOWAS, covering 2,781,392 km² compared to ECOWAS's adjusted 2,087,596 km².
Officially members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA/WAEMU), AES countries have not shown their readiness to break ties with UEMOA. Leaving UEMOA is a more complex decision than leaving ECOWAS. Reasons that could impact the decision to remain in UEMOA include: 1. Burkina Faso hosts the UEMOA headquarters, and 2. leaving UEMOA could result in some economic instability. It should also be noted the AES adopted a confederal levy on imports originating outside the UEMOA to support operations of the newly created AES regional development bank. UEMOA member countries share a single currency, the CFA franc, which is based on a convertibility guarantee by the French Treasury. If a country leaves UEMOA, it will have to recover its foreign exchange reserves, currently divided between the UEMOA Central Bank in Abidjan (50%) and the French Treasury (50%)..
The Alliance of Sahel States has announced various measures towards its stated goals of regional stability, economic independence, and self reliance.
Proposals have been made regarding a common central bank jointly with the introduction of a new currency to replace the CFA franc. In an effort to boost agricultural and energy self-reliance, joint infrastructure programs are envisioned, and export controls on grain towards the rest of ECOWAS have been implemented.
On February 22, 2025, the ministers of the Alliance of Sahel States officially launched the flag of the AES confederation, after its validation by the heads of state of the member countries of the organization.
The AES countries have been increasing transnational coordination in the fight against terrorist groups. In January 2025, a previously announced joint military force was described as being in development by Niger's Minister of Defense Salifou Modi. Modi announced that the force will have 5,000 personnel and will be tasked with fighting Islamist groups across the three countries.
On February 5, 2025, the Member States of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States signed a historic convention, establishing a common cultural policy.
The ministers of the Sahel Alliance states are working on the creation of a joint parliament for the three Sahelian member states.
Roaming charges for telephone communications between the three countries have been abolished. A joint biometric passport for AES citizens was recently introduced, but is already facing obstacles, with Senegal currently refusing to recognize the passport, putting in question the viability of the scheme. The establishment of a common passport for the AES member states will come into being from January 29, 2025.
The AES countries are resource rich. For example, Niger is among the world's biggest uranium exporters and for many years has been a major uranium exporter to the EU. Niger was among the top 4 providers of uranium to the EU in both 2022 and 2023 according to the Supply Agency of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). In 2022, Niger delivered 2,975 tonnes of natural uranium, or 25.4% of the EU’s supplies, making it the second largest supplier. In 2023, shipments dropped by 29.78%, making Niger the 4th largest supplier to the EU. Niger produces just under 5% of all mined uranium worldwide.
Niger was working to begin oil exports to China through the Niger–Benin Oil Pipeline until the efforts were frustrated in early 2024. China intervened in May 2024, resulting in the resumption of crude oil exports via the Chinese-funded pipeline. The pipeline was closed again after just one shipment of oil due to damages after a terror attack.
Some major known resources in AES territory include:
Chad has been working to strengthen relationships with AES countries to enhance regional security and counter-terrorism efforts. Chad recently ended its defense cooperation agreement with France, signaling a desire to assert its sovereignty and redefine its strategic partnerships. This move aligns Chad with the AES countries, which have also distanced themselves from France.
Guinea’s government, like those of the AES states, is the result of a military coup. Guinea has been supportive of the AES and its goals, for example defying border closures imposed by ECOWAS and giving the Sahel states access to its ports. This allowed Mali to receive Russian grain and fertilizer in a time of crisis. President Doumbouya was a member of the French Foreign Legion (a corporal) and therefore took an oath to serve France and protect French interests, before leading the coup that brought him to power in Guinea in 2021. Doumbouya is also married to Lauriane Doumbouya (Darboux), a French woman with a career as a gendarme.
Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been urging both ECOWAS and the AES states to engage in dialogue and work together to address common challenges such as terrorism, climate change, and poverty.
In November 2024, Senegal decided to ban the new AES passport and close its borders to holders of the Malian NINA ID card. This sparked significant outcry from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, raising questions about regional integration and the future of free movement in West Africa.
Togo has been actively collaborating with AES member countries on security and economic initiatives. Togo has also launched the Global Peace and Security Alliance (GPSA), an initiative aimed at fostering dialogue and collaboration among various global platforms dedicated to peace and security. This initiative was announced during the Lomé Peace and Security Forum on November 28, 2024. Through this initiative, Togo can further collaborate with the AES as well as other countries. On January 17, 2025, Togo's Foreign Minister Robert Dussey announced that the Togolese government had not ruled out Togo joining the Alliance of Sahel States. "It's not impossible," he said. In March 2025, Robert Dussey reaffirmed that Togo was considering joining the Alliance of Sahel States.
The AES and Togo are working to establish an interconnected customs area. This would also allow the landlocked AES countries to use Togo's Lomé port without large tariffs. Use of ports has been a source of tension between the AES and the coastal countries in ECOWAS.
Ghana's president-elect, John Dramani Mahama, elected on December 7, 2024, has proposed an initiative to support the AES in combating terrorism. He urged neighboring countries and international organizations, like ECOWAS, to address the crisis in the Sahel, which has become a hub for terrorist activity. The Sahel region has seen a rise in terrorist threats from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in recent , affecting both safety and development. Mahama stated that this instability threatens not only the Sahel but all of West Africa. He called on countries like Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin to play a more active role in supporting the region. Mahama has also decided to seek revised IMF terms to stabilize Ghana’s economy, which is a pivot from the policies of his predecessor.
On 18 December 2024, outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo approved visa-free entry for all Africans seeking to come to Ghana starting 6 January 2025, fulfilling his pledge made in January 2024 to increase regional integration by introducing visa-free travel to Ghana for citizens of all African nations. This will make Ghana the 5th African country to allow entry to all holders of African passports. This policy is compatible with both the African Union's African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the AES goals of regional integration.
On January 21, 2025, Ghana appointed a special envoy to the Alliance of Sahel States, Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, who was tasked with bridging Ghana’s relations with members of the Alliance of Sahel States.
The AES has been taking actions to diminish the influence and control of former colonial power France over its resources, territory, diplomatic relations, and trade. As part this realignment, the nations of the AES have been seeking new partnerships to fill the vacuum left by France's exit. This has resulted in an intention to increase economic and security cooperation with Russia, Turkey, China, Iran and North Korea. Russian involvement notably includes a joint satellite program with Roscosmos, and military assistance from the Wagner Group to counter insurgencies. Turkey's foreign, defense, and energy ministers met with their counterparts in Niger to discuss new deals in the areas of security and defense, trade, energy, and mining on 17, July 2024 and had military contractors in Niger as of January 2025.
In March 2025, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali further distanced themselves from France by announcing their decisions to withdraw from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), an international organization established in 1970 in Niamey, Niger, to promote the French language and encourage cooperation among French-speaking nations. Although the three AES countries are founding members of the OIF, they were suspended from the organization following the coups that brought military leadership to power and consider the organization "a politically manipulated instrument"..