The Alliance of Sahel States (; AES) is a political and economic union in the Sahel region of Africa comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. It originated as a mutual defense pact in 2023. All three member states are under the control of military juntas following a string of successful coups. The confederation's stated goal is the pooling of resources to build energy and communications infrastructure, establish a common market, implement a monetary union under a 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.
The confederation is against neo-colonialism and ongoing French influence in their countries, and its members have demonstrated this with acts such as downgrading the status of the French language, renaming of colonial street names, and removal of the French Revolution from school curricula. The AES is against many policies of the French government and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which all three member countries left in 2025. In 2024, the AES cut off military relations with Western powers and replaced Western troops on their territory with Russian forces. It has also cut diplomatic ties and expelled ambassadors from some Western countries following critical statements regarding its rapprochement with Russia.
The bloc's economic growth is high, with GDP growing by 6.51% in 2024 and Niger achieving one of the fastest growing economies in the world and in Africa in 2024, though nations of the AES are among the least developed in the world as measured by the Human Development Index.
The region faces numerous challenges, including prolonged periods of ineffective governance, external geopolitical interference, jihadist groups and insurgencies, and imbalanced trade agreements. Amnesty International has accused AES governments of engaging in routine human rights violations including arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and massacres of civilians. AES states have all pledged to suspend military rule and return to civilian rule, but these plans have been delayed in each of these countries as the governments work towards increased integration.
Member states
+ Demographic and development overview of AES member states Country Capital Official language Area(km2) Population (thousands) Population density(per km2) Human Development Index (HDI) 2010 2025 2010 2025 2010 2025 Ouagadougou Mooré, Dyula 274,200 17,114 24,451 62.4 89.1 0.388 0.451 Bamako Bambara 1,240,192 16,515 24,790 13.3 20.0 0.399 0.467 Niamey Hausa 1,267,000 18,504 29,126 14.6 23.0 0.377 0.439
+ Economic overview of AES member states Country Nominal GDP (billions USD) PPP GDP (billions Intl$.) Nominal GDP per capita (USD) PPP GDP per capita (Intl$.) 2010 2026 2010 2026 2010 2026 2010 2026 $10.12 $32.51$24.84 $79.54$625 $1,319$1,536 $3,227 $12.44 $33.85$34.33 $95.36$780 $1,301$2,153 $3,665 $7.84 $24.81$15.76 $69.42$476 $822$957 $2,232
History Regional insurgencies and successive coups
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. These have caused instability and dissatisfaction with governments in the region.
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. Goïta later led a second coup in 2021, deposing interim president Bah Ndaw who had been nominated to lead a transitional military government.
A few months later, in the 2021 Guinean coup d'état, the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development removed elected president Alpha Condé and installed Mamady Doumbouya as transitional president. Guinea is not a member of the AES, but has been offering diplomatic support to the confederation.
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.
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 France-aligned government of president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.
In July 2023, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland removed the elected government of Niger's Mohamed Bazoum, installing Omar Tiani and a new junta in the 2023 coup d'état.
Withdrawal of Western forces In 2022, Mali's military government terminated defense agreements with France and accused French troops of failing to contain Islamist insurgencies and interfering in domestic politics. In January 2023, Burkina Faso's military government formally ended its military agreement with France and demanded the withdrawal of 400 French special forces from their country within a month. This was the result of growing nationalist and anti-colonial sentiment in addition to anti-French protests in the country. In July 2023, Niger's military government demanded France withdraw its 1,500 troops. French President Emmanuel Macron initially resisted but eventually announced a full withdrawal by the end of 2023. France's ambassador was also expelled, signaling a complete diplomatic breakdown.
While the U.S. presence in Niger was more counterterrorism-focused, it was also pushed out. Niger had been a key U.S. ally and hosted drone bases with over 1000 troops and special forces. Niger revoked its military agreement with the United States in March 2024 and ordered the withdrawal of all U.S. forces. This led to the closure of Air Base 101 in Niamey and the $110‑million Air Base 201 drone facility in Agadez. The withdrawal was completed later that year. Mali and Burkina Faso, which had previously expelled French forces and deepened ties with Russia, similarly ended U.S. military cooperation, leaving no American presence in any AES state. The loss of the Niger drone bases was a major setback for U.S. power projection and surveillance capabilities in the Sahel.
The United States has since been working to reset relations and to create new military partnerships with the AES countries.
Nigerien crisis and departure from ECOWAS
All three of the alliance's member states were suspended by ECOWAS shortly after the ousting of their elected governments. After the coup in Niger, ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily and restore president Bazoum's government, resulting in a regional crisis. The juntas of Mali and Burkina Faso promised military aid to Niger in the event of an intervention, while Guinea's provided diplomatic support. The promises of military aid resulted in the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States as a mutual defense bloc for the three nations, averting an ECOWAS intervention. The West Africa Peoples Organisation denounced the proposed intervention, calling it a "pretext to carry out imperialist plans to keep Niger (rich in mineral resources, notably uranium and hydrocarbons) continually in the imperialist fold."
On 28 January 2024, the three countries announced in a joint statement their intention to withdraw from ECOWAS. ECOWAS appointed three mediators to begin dialogues with the three countries. On 15 December 2024, ECOWAS heads of state adopted an exit transition period for Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, which was to begin 29 January 2025 and end on 29 July 2025. The AES rejected the timetable extension proposed by ECOWAS and said it would adhere to its January 2025 withdrawal timeline.
On 29 January 2025, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formally withdrew from ECOWAS after having provided the required 1-year notice. To consolidate their exit from ECOWAS and strengthen their alliance, the three countries began circulating new AES passports and announced a joint 5,000-strong military unit.
AES countries were all founding members of ECOWAS in May 1975. The withdrawal has resulted in ECOWAS losing 76 million of its 446 million people and a significant portion of its total geographical land area. The AES is now geographically larger than ECOWAS, covering 2,781,392 km2 compared to ECOWAS's adjusted 2,087,596 km2.
Formalization of the Confederation In May 2024 at a meeting in Niamey, representatives of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger finalized a draft text for the creation of the AES. In July 2024, at a summit in Niamey, the AES heads of state signed a confederation treaty to strengthen the existing mutual defense pact and released a 25-point communique. This included agreement on a one-year rotating presidency, with Assimi Goïta, junta leader and interim president of Mali, commencing his term on the same day. It was agreed that the first joint AES parliamentary summit would be hosted in Burkina Faso.
On 22 February 2025, AES ministers officially launched the flag of the AES after its validation by the heads of state of the member countries. As of January 2025, AES ministers are working on the creation of a joint parliament.
Goïta handed over to Ibrahim Traoré as President of the AES on December 24, 2025.
On 24 August 2026, Confederal Parliament of AES was formally installed in Niamey. A total of 45 lawmakers comprise the parliament, namely 15 from each AES country.
Relations with the West African Economic and Monetary Union
AES countries have not shown their readiness to break ties with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU, also known by its French acronym UEMOA), which is headquartered in Burkina Faso. Leaving UEMOA is a more complex decision than leaving ECOWAS. UEMOA member countries share a single currency, the CFA franc, which is based on a convertibility guarantee by the French Treasury. If a country leaves UEMOA, it will have to recover its foreign exchange reserves, currently divided between the UEMOA Central Bank in Abidjan (50%) and the French Treasury (50%). Nonetheless, proposals have been made for a joint AES central bank and a new currency to replace the CFA franc.
The AES adopted a confederal levy on imports originating outside the UEMOA to support operations of the newly created AES regional development bank.
Initiatives
The Confederation of Sahel States has announced various measures towards its stated goals of regional stability, economic independence, and self reliance.
Economic integration
Proposals have been made regarding a common central bank jointly with the introduction of a new currency to replace the CFA franc. In an effort to boost agricultural and energy self-reliance, joint infrastructure programs are envisioned, and export controls on grain towards the rest of ECOWAS have been implemented. Energy regulators from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger met in Bamako in May 2025 to harmonise their policies on energy security and promote renewable energy.
Investment bank Plans for an AES bank were first announced in May 2025. In December 2025, the AES formally established the Confederal Investment and Development Bank (BCID-AES) as its financial arm. The bank was created following the signing of its founding charter in Bamako under AES President Assimi Goïta. The announcement was made by Burkina Faso's Minister of Economy and Finance, Aboubacar Nacanabo.