Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali have resumed dialogue with the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, which they quit over 18 months ago, agreeing to work together towards a cooperation “framework agreement”.
‎‎The three countries left the Economic Community of West African States in January 2025, after teaming up to create their own group, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
‎‎Talks between ECOWAS and the AES had been under way since January 2025 but Saturday was their first official ministerial meeting.
‎‎In a joint statement issued Saturday evening, the two sides “welcomed the spirit of fraternity, mutual respect and openness” of the talks, and stressed the importance of maintaining relations of “good neighbourliness” particularly with “respect for sovereignty”.
‎‎They agreed to “set up joint thematic working groups (…) to reach a framework cooperation agreement”.
‎The AES delegation was led by Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, Burkina Faso’s foreign minister, and the ECOWAS delegation by Cheikh Niang, his Senegalese counterpart.
‎‎The AES countries have all turned their backs on France, the former colonial power, and by extension on several countries in the region they consider too close to Paris while pursuing anti-imperialist and pro-sovereignty vision.