Senior officials meet in Bamako to ‘operationalize’ Sahel States Confederation

Senior officials from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger met in Bamako on late last week to lay the groundwork for the upcoming meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES). The meeting is seen as a significant step in the ‘operationalization’ of the newly formed regional alliance. In July, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced the formation of the AES, marking a pivotal moment towards closer economic and military cooperation. The move comes amid ongoing security challenges in the region and strained relations with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).