Sahel States Restart Dialogue with ECOWAS

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso resumed dialogue with ECOWAS on Saturday, after leaving the bloc in January 2025 and forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). At their first official ministerial meeting, the two sides agreed to establish thematic working groups to develop a cooperation framework agreement. Burkina Faso’s foreign minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, led the AES delegation, while Senegalese foreign minister Cheikh Niang headed the ECOWAS delegation. Both sides welcomed the talks’ spirit of fraternity and mutual respect and underscored good-neighbourly relations and respect for sovereignty.