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The Alliance of Sahel States (ASS)[4][5][6][a] (French: Alliance des États du Sahel (AES)) is a confederation[9] formed between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. It originated as a mutual defense pact created on 16 September 2023 following the 2023 Nigerien crisis, in which the West African political bloc ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily to restore civilian rule after a coup in Niger earlier that year.[6][10][11][12] All three member states are former members of ECOWAS and currently under the control of juntas following a string of successful coups, the 2021 Malian coup d'état, the September 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état, and the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état.[13][14][15] The confederation was established on 6 July 2024. It is against the policy of neocolonialism in Africa and the world.[16] It is also anti-French and anti-ECOWAS in outlook, as it disagrees with many of their policies.[17][18][19]
 | The political neutrality of this article is disputed. This article may contain biased or partisan political opinions about a political party, event, person or government stated as facts. (December 2024) |
Alliance des États du Sahel Alliance of Sahel States | |
|---|---|
 Alliance of Sahel States (red) | |
| Largest city | Bamako, Mali |
| Lingua franca | French |
| Demonym(s) | Sahélien |
| Type | Confederation |
| Partner States | |
| Leaders | |
| Assimi Goïta | |
| Establishment | 6 July 2024 |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,781,392[1] km2 (1,073,901 sq mi) (8th) |
• Water (%) | 0.74 |
| Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 71,375,590[1] (20th) |
• Density | 25.7/km2 (66.6/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | Int$179.357 billion[2] (81st) |
• Per capita | Int$2,513 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | US$62.380 billion[2] (88th) |
• Per capita | US$874 |
| HDI (2022) | 0.413 low |
| Currency | West African CFA franc / Sahel (proposed)[3] |
| Time zone | UTC+0 / +1 (GMT / WAT) |
| Drives on | Right |
Within the territory of the ASS, there are various terrorist and insurgent groups including ISGS, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, and various separatist groups fighting in Northern Mali such as the Azawad Movement. The war against these groups has been assisted by both French and United States troops, with further assistance from UN peacekeeping forces. In 2024, the ASS cut off military relations with Western powers and replaced Western military forces on their territory with Russian mercenaries, specifically the Wagner Group.[13][20] The ASS has expressed strong opposition to Ukrainian support of rebels in the Sahel after comments by Ukrainian officials in August 2024 stating they had supported separatists that killed Malian soldiers.[21] The ASS has called on the United Nations to take action against Ukraine and accused Ukraine of supporting terrorism in the Sahel. As a result, Mali and Niger have severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine.[22] In response Sweden severed several million Krona of aid to Mali and cut diplomatic ties.[23]
The confederation's stated goal is to pool resources to build energy and communications infrastructure, establish a common market, implement a monetary union under proposed currency, allow free movement of persons, enable industrialization, and invest in agriculture, mines and the energy sector, with the end goal of federalizing into a single sovereign state.[20][3]
The economic outlook for AES countries has improved significantly, with Niger becoming the 3rd fastest growing economy in the world and the fastest growing economy in Africa in 2024.[24][25]
A project to set up passport and identity card travel documents between the three member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States is part of a more advanced integration between the member states of the Alliance of Sahel States, before approval of the project by the three heads of state of the member countries.[26]
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The Sahel has been the site of an ongoing jihadist insurgency since 2003, which has led to many conflicts in the region, such as the Mali War and the Boko Haram insurgency. All three member states have had their pro-Western civilian governments overthrown by their militaries, and each is ruled by a military junta as part of the Coup Belt.[27] In 2022, Mali withdrew from the internationally backed G5 Sahel alliance. Niger and Burkina Faso did so in 2023, leading to announcement of the dissolution of the framework by its last two members Chad and Mauritania three days later.[5]
In the 2020 Malian coup d'état, Assimi Goïta and the National Committee for the Salvation of the People seized power in Mali after overthrowing the elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.[28] Goïta later led a second coup in 2021 which deposed the interim president Bah Ndaw who had been nominated to lead a transitional military government.[29]
Just months later, in the 2021 Guinean coup d'état, the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development removed the elected president Alpha Condé and installed Mamady Doumbouya as transitional president.[30] Guinea is not a member of the ASS, but has been offering diplomatic support to the confederation.
A faction of Burkina Faso's military overthrew their existing military government in the September 2022 coup d'état, installing Ibrahim Traoré over Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had come to power in the January 2022 coup d'état which toppled the democratic government of president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.[31]
Most recently, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland removed the elected government of Niger's Mohamed Bazoum, installing Abdourahamane Tchiani and a new junta in the 2023 coup d'état.[32]
All three of the alliance's member states were suspended by ECOWAS before announcing their withdrawal from the regional bloc. After the coup in Niger, ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily and restore president Bazoum's government, which resulted in the Nigerien crisis. The Nigerien government had the backing of Mali and Burkina Faso, which promised military aid to Niger in the event of an intervention, and Guinea, which offered diplomatic support. The promises of military aid resulted in the creation of ASS as a mutual defense bloc for the three nations in an attempt to stave off an ECOWAS intervention.[33] On 28 January 2024, the three countries announced via a joint statement that they were withdrawing from ECOWAS.[34] ECOWAS has nevertheless appointed three mediators to begin dialogues with the ESA countries and ECOWAS.[35]
In May 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger finalized in Niamey a draft text creating the ASS, its objective is to finalize the project relating to the institutionalization and to the operationalization of ASS.[36]
On 6 July 2024, the military leaders at a summit in Niamey, Niger, signed a confederation treaty to strengthen the existing mutual defense pact. The signing marked the conclusion of the first joint summit of the alliance.[19] Two significant outcomes of the summit were:
1. The naming of colonel Assimi Goïta, head of state of Mali, as president of the new confederation, for a period of one year.
2. The 25-point ASS communique of Saturday, July 6th 2024.[37]
On 15 September 2024, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, announced the creation of a joint investment bank, a television channel and a biometric passport.[38]
On 23 September 2024, ministers from the ASS countries met with officials from Russia's Roscosmos space agency in Bamako, Mali and announced the signing of a five-year strategic satellite deal. As part of the deal, Russia will deploy telecommunications and remote sensing satellites above the three nations. The technology is to boost border surveillance and national security in all three countries and facilitate TV, internet, and telephone service to inaccessible and underdeveloped areas.[39]
On 22 November 2024, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger signed a memorandum of understanding on the end of roaming charges for telephone communications between the three countries.[40]
On December 15, 2024, the Conference of Heads of State of ECOWAS adopted an exit transition period for Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, which begins on January 29, 2025 and ends on July 29, 2025. During this transition period, ECOWAS wants to continue meditation.[41]
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| Country | Capital | Official language |
Population
(thousands) |
Area
(km2) |
GDP[42]
(millions USD) |
GDP (PPP)[42]
(millions Intl.$) |
TFR | HDI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Burkina Faso |
Ouagadougou | Various | 23,042 | 272,967 | 21,902 | 66,910 | 4.5 | 0.438 |
 Mali |
Bamako | Various | 21,990 | 1,240,192 | 21,662 | 65,413 | 5.7 | 0.410 |
 Niger |
Niamey | French | 26,342 | 1,267,000 | 18,816 | 47,024 | 6.6 | 0.394 |
| [43] 71,374 | 2,780,159 | 62,380 | 179,347 | 5.6 | 0.413 | |||
The ASS countries are resource rich. For example, Niger is among the world's biggest uranium exporters and for many years has been a major uranium exporter to the EU.[44] In 2021, Niger produced just under 5% of all mined uranium worldwide. Niger was working to begin oil exports to China through the Niger–Benin Oil Pipeline until the efforts were frustrated in early 2024.[45][46] China intervened in May 2024, resulting in the resumption of crude oil exports via the Chinese-funded pipeline.[47] The pipeline was closed again after just one shipment of oil due to damages after a terror attack.[48]
Some major known resources in ASS territory include:
| Country | Natural Resources[43] | Other Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Niger | uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum | |
| Burkina Faso | gold, manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt | cotton |
| Mali | gold, lithium,[49] phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower[b] | cotton[50] |
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The ASS has been taking actions to diminish the influence and control of former colonial power France over its resources, territory, diplomatic relations, and trade. It has been seeking new partnerships and deals to fill the vacuum left by France's exit.
Some ASS partners include:
| Date | Country | Announcement |
|---|---|---|
| 2023/12/4 | Russia | Niger announced strengthening of military cooperation with Russia.[51] |
| 2024/7/17 | Turkey | Turkey's foreign, defense, and energy ministers met with their counterparts in Niger to discuss new deals in the areas of security and defense, trade, energy, and mining. [52] |
| 2024/7/23 | Togo | The ASS and Togo are working to establish an interconnected customs area. This would also allow the landlocked ASS countries to use Togo's Lomé port without large tariffs. Use of ports has been a source of tension between the ASS and the coastal countries in ECOWAS.[53] [54] |
| 2024/9/5 | China | ASS president Goïta met with Burkina Faso's Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine of Niger on the sidelines of 9th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and agreed to deepen ties with China. The leaders discussed cooperation on economic and security developments, focusing on Chinese investments in key sectors. The Malian junta leader and ASS president signed a military equipment contract with a Chinese firm. The ASS leaders aim to consolidate their joint organization and strengthen bilateral ties, including infrastructure projects under China's Belt and Road Initiative.[55] |
| 2024/09/11 | Iran | Iran has expressed interest in enhancing relations with Burkina Faso by sharing expertise in security, health, and the economy. Tehran's top diplomat in Ouagadougou, Mojtaba Faghihi, announced plans to establish a pharmaceutical production unit in Burkina Faso and encouraged cooperation between Burkinabe and Iranian banks. Burkina Faso's Economy Minister, Aboubacar Nacanabo, welcomed this cooperation. [56] |
| 2024/09/24 | North Korea | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a message to Mali's President Assimi Goïta. Jon Tong Chol, the North Korean envoy, met Mali's chargé d'affaires Mahamane Ousmane in Nigeria the week before to convey the message. Ousmane and Jon reviewed areas of cooperation between Mali and North Korea, including agriculture and health. [57] |
| 2024/12/03 | Cuba | A delegation from the AES including representatives from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger visited Cuba from November 8 to 15, 2024. The purpose of the visit was to learn from Cuba's socialist model and its decades-long revolution. The delegation met with Cuban revolutionaries and visited historical sites to understand Cuba's relationship with Africa and its ability to resist external pressures. This visit highlights the growing connections between the AES and Cuba, as both regions share a commitment to anti-imperialism and self-determination.[58][unreliable source?][neutrality is disputed] |
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| Country | Name | Role | Start of Term | End of Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mali | Assimi Goïta | President of Alliance of Sahel States Confederation | 2024 July 6 | 2025 July 6 |
| Niger | Abdourahamane Tchiani | President Niger - National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland | 2023 July 28 | NA |
| Niger | Salifou Modi | Vice President Niger - National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland | 2023 July 27 | NA |
| Niger | Ali Lamine Zeine | Prime Minister of Niger | 2023 August 8 | NA |
| Burkina Faso | Ibrahim Traoré | Interim President of Burkina Faso | 2022 October 6 | NA |
| Burkina Faso | Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo | Interim Prime Minister of Burkina Faso | 2024 December 7 | NA |
| Burkina Faso | Apollinaire J. Kyélem de Tambèla | Interim Prime Minister of Burkina Faso (Former) | 2022 October 21 | 2024 December 6 |
| Mali | Assimi Goïta | Interim President of Mali | 2021 May 28 | NA |
| Mali | Abdoulaye Maïga | Prime Minister of Mali | 2024 November 21 | NA |
| Mali | Choguel Kokalla Maïga | Prime Minister of Mali (Former) | 2021 June 6 | 2024 November 21 |
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 | This section may incorporate text from a large language model. (December 2024) |
The Alliance of Sahel States has taken actions towards its stated goals of regional stability, economic independence, and self-reliance.[59]
1. Regional Stability and Security: The ASS has taken active measures to counter armed groups and foster stability in the region. Joint military operations have resulted in successful actions against terrorist groups, enhancing security. [60][61][62]
2. Economic Independence: The ASS has made strides towards economic sovereignty by proposing a common central bank with plans for introducing a new currency to replace the CFA franc. This move aims to reduce reliance on external financial systems.[63][64]
3. Infrastructure Development: Significant investments have been made in energy, communications, and agricultural infrastructure, aiming to boost economic growth and self-reliance.[65][66][67]
4. Regional Integration: The introduction of a biometric passport for ASS citizens promotes regional integration and mobility.[68][69] In November 2024, the ASS announced "free roaming" (no roaming charges) from January 2025 for mobile service between AES countries.[70][71]
5. Diversified Partnerships: The ASS has diversified its international partnerships, reducing reliance on traditional Western partners and seeking new alliances with countries in Asia and the Middle East.[51][52][55][56][57]
6. Withdrawal of Western Forces: The ASS has achieved the withdrawal of French and American military forces from the region, marking a symbolic victory for national sovereignty.[72][73][74][75][76][77]
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 | This section possibly contains original research. (December 2024) |
Chad
Chad's President, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, has been working to strengthen relationships with AES countries to enhance regional security and counter-terrorism efforts. While there's no official confirmation, the interest and ongoing discussions suggest that Chad's chances of joining the AES are high. Chad recently ended its defense cooperation agreement with France,[78] signaling a desire to assert its sovereignty and redefine its strategic partnerships. This move aligns Chad closely with the AES countries, which have also distanced themselves from France and moved towards Russia for support. The departure of French troops from Chad might further encourage Chad to strengthen its ties with the AES, as it seeks new security partners and regional alliances. It's a significant shift in the region's geopolitical landscape.
Guinea
Guinea’s government, like those of the AES states, is the result of a military coup. Although Guinea has been diplomatically supportive of the AES and its goals, President Mamady Doumbouya would be unlikely to have Guinea join the AES, as taking the country in that direction could create some conflicts of interest. Doumbouya was a member of the French Foreign Legion (a corporal) and therefore took an oath to serve France and protect French interests, before leading the coup that brought him to power in Guinea in 2021. President Doumbouya is also married to Lauriane Doumbouya (Darboux), a French woman.[79] Lauriane is an active duty member of the French National Gendarmerie.
Senegal
Senegal's President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has been working to resolve the current tensions and return the AES states to ECOWAS. President Faye has been urging both ECOWAS and the AES states to engage in dialogue and work together to address common challenges such as terrorism, climate change, and poverty. In November 2024 Senegal decided to ban the new AES passport and close its borders to holders of the Malian NINA ID card. [80] This move has sparked significant outcry from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, raising questions about regional integration and the future of free movement in West Africa.
Togo
Togo has been actively collaborating with AES member countries on security and economic initiatives and has been appointed by ECOWAS to help mediate and facilitate dialogue between ECOWAS and the AES. Togo has also launched the Global Peace and Security Alliance (GPSA),[81] an initiative aimed at fostering dialogue and collaboration among various global platforms dedicated to peace and security. This initiative was announced during the Lomé Peace and Security Forum on November 28, 2024. Through this initiative, Togo can further collaborate with the AES as well as other countries.
Ghana
Ghana's president-elect, John Dramani Mahama, elected on December 7, 2024, has proposed an initiative to support the AES in combating terrorism. He urged neighboring countries and international organizations, like ECOWAS, to address the crisis in the Sahel, which has become a hub for terrorist activity. The Sahel region has seen a rise in terrorist threats from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, affecting both safety and development. Mahama stated that this instability threatens not only the Sahel but all of West Africa. He called on countries like Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin to play a more active role in supporting the region.[82] Mahama has also decided to seek revised IMF terms to stabilize Ghana’s economy.[83] Mahama is a Pan-Africanist, and his policies mark a pivot from the previous Ghanain administration. Ghaha-AES relations will likely improve under his presidency.
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