Foreign ministers from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) have expressed deep regret over the breakdown in dialogue with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The ministers met in Ouagadougou to finalize the agenda ahead of the second AES Heads of State Summit. The disappointment over the cessation of discussions with the regional organization was highlighted by Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, who chaired the meeting.
Addressing the relationship with ECOWAS, the AES ministerial body recalled the constructive momentum established during a historic working session held on May 22, 2025, in Bamako. This consultation, the first official meeting between the foreign ministers of the Sahel-Saharan Alliance (SASA)—which now functions as the AES—and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, occurred after the three member countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger) withdrew from the regional organization at the end of January 2024.
Minister Diop stated: “It is regrettable that, despite the SASA Confederation’s repeated expressions of willingness and the constructive momentum already underway, the sub-regional organization did not seize these opportunities to continue discussions between the two entities, which together now represent the aspirations of all the countries in our West African sub-region.”
The ministers collectively deplored the lack of follow-up from ECOWAS, especially since the latter had committed, during its summit last June in Abuja, to continue the dialogue initiated with the three SASA member states.
This current breakdown in relations effectively halts efforts to strengthen ties between the newly formed Sahel-Saharan alliance and the broader West African community, complicating the regional geopolitical landscape. The AES ministers are now focused on finalizing a comprehensive document to be submitted to their respective leaders at the upcoming Summit of Heads of State, scheduled for December 22 and 23, 2025, in Bamako, Mali.
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