Niger Hosts Inaugural Summit Of AES

Africa | Niger | Mali | Burkina Faso July 7, 2024

Inaugural summit of the Confederation of Sahel States alias Alliance des Etats du Sahel or simply AES, was held in Niamey, Niger, on July 6, 2024. That was reported by some media on July 7, 2024.

AES was established on September 16, 2023, with Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali as founding member states. The new regional bloc is said to be aimed at, among others, collective security, and creation of economic and monetary union with envisaged single currency called Sahel.

Following establishment of AES, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali withdrew their memberships to the larger West African regional bloc Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The three countries announced the withdrawal in a joint statement on January 28, 2024.

The establishment of AES and subsequent withdrawal from ECOWAS, by its three founding member states is believed in several quarters to be a response by the states to ECOWAS' harsh economic sanctions and threat to intervene militarily in Niger after the current ruling military junta there deposed and detained the then civilian head of state Mohammed Bazoum, on July 26, 2023.

According to the reports, the maiden summit of AES was attended by the heads of the three member states of the regional bloc, namely, General Abdourahmane Tchiani of Niger, Captain Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso, and Colonel Assimi Goita of Mali.

During the summit, the three leaders reportedly signed a mutual defence treaty aimed at consolidating AES. They are said to have also reiterated the decision of their countries to ditch ECOWAS.

The AES summit came just a day before a 2-day ECOWAS summit commenced in Abuja, Nigeria.

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