Top military officials from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—have convened in Ouagadougou for a two-day summit focused on accelerating joint counter-terrorism efforts. The meeting, which began on Tuesday, marks the third high-level gathering since the alliance’s formation in 2023. The agenda includes finalizing plans to operationalize a joint military force, enhancing intelligence sharing, and coordinating troop deployments across borders to counter escalating jihadist violence. This initiative builds on earlier consultations held in Bamako and Niamey in 2024.
The AES was established in the wake of each country’s withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), amid growing criticism of foreign military presence and a shift toward regional self-reliance in security matters. The Sahel region remains one of the world’s most volatile security hotspots, with persistent attacks by groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS. The AES alliance aims to present a unified front capable of mounting a more agile and coordinated military response to these threats.
