On Monday 28 May, the Transitional Legislative Assembly (TLA) in Burkina Faso voted unanimously to ratify the Liptako Gourma Charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
The 71 MPs of the transition thus made it possible to domesticate the provisions of the Liptako Gourma Charter, and to integrate it into the legal system sanctioned by the constitution.
According to the head of diplomacy, Jean-Marie Traoré, this unanimous vote is “a strong signal” and proof of Burkina’s interest in “the new dynamic in the Sahel”.
Last week in the Nigerien capital Niamey, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger finalised a draft text establishing the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES),
“The treaty is ready. The conditions remain for its adoption by the summit of heads of state”, said Jean-Marie Traoré.
The AES covers the geographical area of Liptako-Gourma, a historic cross-border region in West Africa and the Sahel, straddling Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
Ouagadougou, Bamako and Niamey announced at the end of January that they were leaving the West African regional grouping Ecowas. According to the authorities of these countries, the organisation was being manipulated by Paris.
DS/ac/lb/as/APA