Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali resume talks with ECOWAS after withdrawal from regional bloc

Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali have resumed formal discussions with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), agreeing to work towards establishing a framework for cooperation despite their withdrawal from the regional bloc.

The three Sahel countries officially left ECOWAS in January 2025 after forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), amid growing disagreements with the bloc.

Saturday’s meeting, held in Dakar, is believed to be the first official ministerial-level engagement between the two sides, although discussions had been ongoing since January 2025.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday evening, both sides welcomed the discussions, citing fraternity, mutual respect and openness as guiding principles. They also emphasised the importance of good neighbourly relations and respect for national sovereignty.

The parties agreed to establish joint thematic working groups to develop a framework cooperation agreement.

Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Traore, led the AES delegation, while Senegal’s Foreign Minister, Cheikh Niang, headed the ECOWAS team.

Insecurity across the Sahel

Across the AES countries and other parts of the Sahel, armed groups continue to carry out attacks and expand towards coastal West African countries. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have battled jihadist insurgencies for more than a decade, with al-Qaeda- and Islamic State-linked groups exploiting weak state presence, porous borders and local grievances.

In Mali, coordinated attacks on 25 April targeted several locations, with the violence involving Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, and the Azawad Liberation Front, a separatist movement. The country’s Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, was killed during the attacks.

In Burkina Faso and Niger, armed groups have also sustained pressure on security forces and civilians, while violence has increasingly threatened northern Benin and Togo.

Also, Nigeria, the largest economy in the region, faces overlapping security threats, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgencies, banditry and mass kidnappings.

With armed groups operating across borders, strained relations between Nigeria and the AES countries risk weakening intelligence-sharing and joint counterterrorism operations. Niger’s withdrawal from the Multinational Joint Task Force in March 2025 gave a clear implication of the collapsed regional cooperation.

The challenge of regional cooperation

The AES countries have pursued an independent security and political course, distancing themselves from France and strengthening ties with Russia.

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Their withdrawal from ECOWAS has complicated regional cooperation, despite shared threats that require intelligence-sharing, effective border controls and coordinated military responses.

The diplomatic disputes have also been fuelled by allegations from Sahelian leaders that neighbouring countries and foreign powers are supporting armed groups. Such claims remain contested, and allegations should not be treated as established facts without independently verifiable evidence.

It is not yet clear whether the renewed talks envisage the AES states returning to the regional bloc. If this is not part of the agenda, it will be interesting to see how ECOWAS, which has traditionally emphasised democratic governance, navigates diplomatic engagement with the junta-led countries while addressing mounting security threats across their shared borders.