Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have initiated high-level consultations in Ouagadougou to establish a unified legal and administrative framework aimed at strengthening cross-border security, mobility, and trade across the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Opening the sessions on behalf of Burkinabe Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, Minister of State for Territorial Administration and Mobility Emile Zerbo outlined the initiative, which centers on adopting an additional protocol to the Confederation of Sahel States treaty alongside a permanent consultation framework for border region governors. The proposed platform is designed to facilitate intelligence-sharing, joint resource management, and coordinated crisis prevention among regional authorities, helping to streamline the movement of people and commercial goods while combating transnational crime and terrorism.
Delegations from member states underscored the strategic shift away from strictly national security measures toward integrated regional governance. Malian Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization Brigadier General Issa Ousmane Coulibaly emphasized that formalizing cross-border administrative ties will transform frontier zones into sustainable corridors for trade, cultural exchange, and conflict resolution. Similarly, Ayouba Abdourahmane, Secretary-General of Niger’s Ministry of Interior, highlighted the necessity of joint operational monitoring and intelligence-sharing to secure shared territories. The draft instruments mark a significant step in operationalizing the Confederation of Sahel States, established in July 2024 following the three nations’ withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States.
HO/te/lb/abj/APA