Sahel Junta States Resume Official Dialogue With ECOWAS
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger agreed to establish joint working groups with ECOWAS to develop a cooperation framework after withdrawing from the bloc in 2025.
The junta-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger resumed official ministerial dialogue with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on October 17, 2026. Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, the two parties agreed to establish joint thematic working groups to conduct technical discussions and develop a cooperation framework agreement.
This engagement marks the first official ministerial meeting since the three nations exited the regional bloc in January 2025 to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The delegations were led by Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore for the AES and Senegal's Foreign Minister Cheikh Niang for ECOWAS, with support from Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
Both parties issued a joint statement emphasizing mutual respect, fraternity, and sovereignty. The renewed talks aim for a balanced and realistic arrangement, though it remains unclear if the AES states intend to fully rejoin the regional bloc. This diplomatic shift follows a period where the Sahel states distanced themselves from France and its regional allies, shifting their political alignment toward Moscow under an anti-imperialist vision.
The cooperation comes as persistent jihadist insurgencies continue across the Sahel. Officials have expressed concerns that strained relations between the AES and ECOWAS have hindered critical intelligence-sharing and joint counterterrorism operations.
