After 18 Months Apart, ECOWAS And Sahel Military Governments Begin Fresh Cooperation Talks

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have held their first official ministerial-level meeting with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) since withdrawing from the regional organisation in January 2025.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the discussions took place on Saturday, bringing representatives of the three military-led countries and ECOWAS together to explore ways of establishing a framework for future cooperation.

The three countries formally withdrew from ECOWAS after establishing their own regional alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Their departure followed years of political tensions between the military governments and the regional bloc.

Although discussions between ECOWAS and the AES have continued since January 2025, Saturday’s meeting marked the first official ministerial-level engagement between the two sides since the withdrawal.

Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, led the AES delegation, while Senegal’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Cheikh Niang, headed the ECOWAS team.

In a joint communique issued after the meeting, both parties agreed to establish joint thematic working groups tasked with developing a framework agreement to guide future cooperation.

The two sides also commended the atmosphere of fraternity, mutual respect and openness during the discussions, stressing the importance of maintaining peaceful and cordial relations as neighbouring countries.

They further emphasised the need to respect each other’s sovereignty as efforts continue to establish a workable relationship between the regional bloc and the Sahel alliance.

The diplomatic engagement comes amid significant changes in the political and security relationships across the Sahel region. The military governments in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have distanced themselves from France, their former colonial power, while relations with some neighbouring countries, including Côte d’Ivoire and Benin, have also been strained.

The three governments have accused certain countries in the sub-region of maintaining overly close ties with Paris, contributing to wider diplomatic divisions in West Africa.

The latest talks could provide an avenue for reducing tensions and improving cooperation between ECOWAS and the AES, although the proposed framework agreement is still to be developed.