Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced a 0.5% import levy on goods entering their territories, marking a significant step in financing their newly formed economic and military bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The decision, finalized on Friday, March 29, applies to all imported goods except humanitarian aid and comes as part of efforts to solidify the alliance’s economic autonomy following their January 2024 withdrawal from ECOWAS. Originally established as a security pact in 2023, the AES has rapidly evolved into a comprehensive economic and defense union. The new tariff effectively ends free trade with the ECOWAS bloc, widening the geopolitical divide between these military-led nations and neighboring democracies such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal.
The three Sahelian states justified their ECOWAS exit by accusing the regional bloc of failing to adequately support their fight against Islamist insurgencies that have ravaged the region, displacing millions and claiming thousands of lives. The sanctions imposed by ECOWAS to pressure the military juntas into restoring civilian rule had minimal impact, prompting the alliance to pursue self-reliance strategies like this import levy. With this latest policy, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger aim to reduce dependence on external financial structures while strengthening intra-alliance trade, defense cooperation, and economic resilience amid continued geopolitical tensions.
