ECOWAS-AES Mediation: What Alassane Ouattara and Lansana Kouyaté Discussed

On April 30, 2026, President Alassane Ouattara met with Lansana Kouyaté, the ECOWAS mediator, to discuss tensions arising from the withdrawal of certain Sahel countries from the organization. Kouyaté expressed his desire to promote rapprochement between the parties and emphasized the need to clarify the motivations behind the creation of the AES. Both men share concerns about this rupture and hope that dialogue can address the misunderstandings at the root of the crisis.