The meeting between Mali’s transitional president and the AES trade ministers aims to strengthen economic cooperation between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, in line with the directives of the recent summit of the alliance in Niamey.
Mali, Burkina and Niger are working to consolidate their relations within the framework of the Sahel Economic Community (AES). To this end, on Friday, October 18, the head of Mali’s transitional government, General Assimi Goïta, granted an audience to the trade ministers of this Sahelian bloc.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting of ESA trade and industry ministers in Bamako. In attendance were Moussa Alassane Diallo, Mali’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Serge Poda, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Trade, Craft and Industry, and Seydou Asman, Niger’s Minister of Trade and Industry.
This meeting is part of the implementation of the directives issued by the Heads of State of the AES Confederation at their summit in Niamey last July.
According to Burkina Faso’s Minister Serge Poda, “the ESA Heads of State decided to add the Sahel’s development dimension to the defense and diplomacy dimensions.”
He added that the aim of the meeting was to create “a framework for coordination, action and synergy to boost the region’s economy,” with the private sector at the heart of the discussions.
President Goïta expressed his satisfaction with this momentum and encouraged the ministers to do their utmost to achieve the development goals set by the College of Heads of State of the Sahel Alliance.
In September 2023, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger created the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS). Four months later, in January 2024, these three countries announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), accusing it of being used by France.
The ESA reached an important milestone in July 2024, at the first Summit of Heads of State, hosted by Niger. On this occasion, the alliance was transformed into a confederation, a significant development that marks a step towards the formation of a future federation. General Goïta was appointed Acting President of the AES for one year.
AC/sf/lb/as/APA