The Confederation of Sahel States (AES), made up of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, took a new step forward on Monday, December 30 in Bamako with the presentation of its official logo.
This development is part of the efforts of the alliance, which has distanced itself from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which it criticizes over ties with France.
The logo features an orange circle symbolising a radiant sun, overlooking a baobab tree, a symbol of life and diversity rooted in regional culture. Under the baobab, silhouettes representing the demographic diversity of the three member countries are visible, accompanied by three golden stars symbolising the founding countries
of the alliance.
Furthermore, on 22 November 2024, the security ministers of the three member states met in Bamako to validate the technical specifications of the new harmonised travel documents. Chaired by Major General Daoud
Aly Mohammedine, Minister of Security and Civil Protection of Mali, this meeting aims to facilitate movement and exchanges between citizens of the three countries.
This meeting follows an expert meeting in October 2024, where the technical details of the passports and national identity cards were established. The new documents will allow citizens to move freely within the AES geography, while strengthening economic and social cooperation.
The validated specifications will be submitted to the AES heads of state for approval.
AC/fss/as/APA