Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have opened a high-level meeting in Ouagadougou to coordinate their policies on energy, mining and oil as the three countries deepen economic integration under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The meeting, running through August 12, brings together government officials and technical experts from the three countries to review five proposed documents covering common approaches to energy and mineral-resource development, harmonized energy and mining policies, and the creation of an AES Energy and Mining Week.
The initiative is aimed at giving the three landlocked Sahelian states a more coordinated strategy for managing their natural resources and attracting investment while increasing the economic benefits retained within the region. Burkina Faso has called for greater local processing of raw materials, stronger local participation in mining projects and the use of expertise from within the Sahel. Officials are also expected to examine challenges including illegal gold mining, mineral trafficking, fraud, corruption and environmental damage. These issues have become increasingly important as gold and other minerals remain major sources of revenue for the three economies.
The meeting is part of the AES’s broader push to build common institutions and reduce dependence on external partners. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formally created the Confederation of Sahel States in July 2024 after withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The three countries say closer coordination of strategic sectors such as mining and energy will strengthen economic complementarity, improve resource management and support their wider political, economic and security cooperation. If adopted, the proposed common frameworks could mark another step toward integrating the three countries’ economies while giving the AES a more unified approach to its strategically important mineral and energy resources.
