Togo has launched a new geopolitical and security strategy aimed at addressing instability in the Sahel and improving dialogue between regional blocs, during a high-level summit in Lomé. The meeting brought together officials from the ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), alongside international partners including France and the European Union. The initiative seeks to rebuild communication channels with Sahel countries that have recently distanced themselves from ECOWAS and Western allies while strengthening ties with Russia.
Togo’s Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, said the country aims to act as a mediator, leveraging its regional position to foster stability and cooperation. “Togo is ready to serve as a bridge between the Sahel and the wider international community,” he stated. The 2026–2028 strategy is built on five key pillars: promoting political dialogue with AES states, enhancing regional and global partnerships, intensifying counterterrorism efforts, improving economic integration, and strengthening diplomatic engagement.
Representatives from the AES, including Abdoulaye Diop, welcomed the initiative and signaled openness to collaboration, while emphasizing the need to address external influences they view as destabilizing. The Sahel region continues to face escalating violence from extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which have killed thousands and displaced millions. The insecurity has increasingly spread toward coastal West African countries such as Benin and Togo, raising concerns about regional spillover. Togo’s initiative is seen as a diplomatic effort to ease tensions between ECOWAS and AES members while coordinating a more unified response to shared security and economic challenges.
