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Alliance of Sahel States

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Confédération des États du Sahel
The Confederation of Sahel States
Confederation of Sahel States (green)
Confederation of Sahel States (green)
Largest cityBamako, Mali
Lingua francaFrench
Demonym(s)Sahélien
TypeConfederation
Parter States
Leaders
• President
Assimi Goita
Establishment6 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
CurrencyWest African CFA franc / Sahel (proposed)[3]
Time zoneUTC+0 / +1 (GMT / WAT)
Drives onright

The Confederation of Sahel States (CES/CSS[4][5][6][a]) 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 anti-French and anti-ECOWAS in outlook.[16][17][18]

Within the territory of the CES, there are various terrorist and insurgent groups including the ISGS, the Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, and various separatist groups fighting in Northern Mali. 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 AES cut off military relations with Western powers and replaced Western military forces on their territory with Russian mercenaries, specifically the Wagner Group.[13][19]

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 the Sahel, allow free movement of persons, enable industrialization, and invest in agriculture, mines and energy sectors, with the end goal of federalizing into a single sovereign state.[19][3]

Background and history

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 junta as part of the Coup Belt.[20] 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.[21] 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.[22]

Just months later, in the 2021 Guinean coup d'état the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development removed the elected Alpha Condé and installed Mamady Doumbouya as transitional president.[23]

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 came to power in the January 2022 coup d'état which toppled the democratic government of President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.[24]

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.[25]

All three of the alliance's member states are suspended members of ECOWAS; after the coup in Niger, ECOWAS has threatened to intervene militarily and restore President Bazoum's government, which resulted in the Nigerien crisis. The Nigerien government has the backing of Mali and Burkina Faso, which promised military aid to Niger in the event of an intervention, and Guinea, which has been offering diplomatic support. The promises of military aid resulted in the creation of AES as a mutual defense bloc for the three nations in an attempt to stave off an ECOWAS intervention.[26] On 28 January 2024, the three countries announced via a joint statement that they were withdrawing from ECOWAS.[27]

In May 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger finalized in Niamey a draft text creating the AES, its objective is to finalize the project relating to the institutionalization and to the operationalization of AES.[28]

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.[18] Two significant outcomes of the summit were:

1. The naming of Colonel Assimi Goita, head of state of Mali, as president of the new confederation, for a period of one year.

2. The 25 point AES communique of Saturday, July 6th 2024. [29]

CSS member states
Country Capitol Official
language 		Population

(thousands)

Area

(km2)

GDP

(US$ bn)

GDP (PPP)

(Int$ bn)

TFR HDI
 Burkina Faso Ouagadougou Various 23,042 272,967 10.678 66.910 4.5 0.438
 Mali Bamako Various 21,990 1,240,192 12.747 65.413 5.7 0.410
 Niger Niamey French 26,342 1,267,000 7.143 47.024 6.6 0.394
[30] 71,374 2,780,159 30.568 179.347 5.6 0.413

Resources

The AES/CSS countries are very 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.[31] It was recently working to begin oil exports to China through Benin, until the efforts were frustrated. [32] [33]

Some major known resources in AES territory include:

Country Natural Resources[30] 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, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, gypsum, granite, hydropower

Note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited

Partners

The AES has been taking actions to diminish the influence and control of 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 AES partners include:

Date Country Announcement
12/4/23 Russia Niger announced strengthening of military cooperation with Russia.[34]
7/17/24 Turkey Turkey foreign, defense, and energy ministers met with their counterparts in Niger to discuss new deals in the areas of security and defense, trade, anergy, and mining. [35]
7/23/24 Togo The AES and Togo are working to establish an interconnected customs area. This will also allow the landlocked AES countries to use Togo's Lome port without large tariffs. Use of ports has been a source of tension between the AES and the coastal countries in ECOWAS.[36]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Sometimes spelled AoSS[7][8]

References

  1. ^ a b "The World Factbook". cia.gov. Retrieved 7 June 2024.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: CIA World Factbook
  2. ^ a b "World Economic Outlook database: April 2024". imf.org. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b "ÉCONOMIE AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST Mali, Burkina, Niger : une monnaie commune est-elle crédible ?". Jeune Afrique (in French). 12 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  4. ^ "With ECOWAS exit, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger leave democratic transition in limbo". France24. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Chad, Mauritania pave way for dissolution of G5 Sahel alliance". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b AFP (16 September 2023). "Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger sign mutual defense pact". Le Monde. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  7. ^ "International Women's Day Celebrations With AES Women in New York". Embassy of the Republic of Mali in the Untited States of America. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  8. ^ Gray, Sébastien (27 November 2023). "Burkina Faso Claims to Kill 400 Militants, as Militants Claim Victories". The Brief. Atlas News. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  9. ^ "West Africa bloc warns of 'disintegration' as juntas form 'Confederation of Sahel States'". France 24. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso establish Sahel security alliance". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso sign Sahel security pact". Reuters. 16 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  12. ^ Report, Agency (16 September 2023). "Mali, Niger, Burkina juntas sign mutual defence pact". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Russia's Wagner Group expands into Africa's Sahel with a new brand". CNBC. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  14. ^ "West African coup juntas threaten to quit regional block: What it means". CNBC. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  15. ^ "The Alliance of Sahel States: A regional crisis in troubled West Africa". Samir Bhattacharya. Observer Research Foundation. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Breakaway junta confederation undermines ECOWAS summit". France 24. 7 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  17. ^ "West Africa bloc warns of 'disintegration' as juntas form 'Confederation of Sahel States'". France 24. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso military leaders sign new pact, rebuff ECOWAS". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  19. ^ a b Millar, Paul (12 July 2024). "Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso: How a triumvirate of military leaders are redrawing West Africa's map". France 24. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  20. ^ "ECOWAS Unity Put to Test as West African Coup Crisis Deepens". VOA. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Mali Coup Soldiers Take to Airwaves, Promise Elections". The New York Times. Associated Press. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Mali : Bah N'Daw démissionne, Assimi Goïta devient président". Jeune Afrique (in French). 26 May 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  23. ^ Samb, Saliou (6 September 2021). "Elite Guinea army unit says it has toppled president". Reuters. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  24. ^ "Burkina : Ibrahim Traoré proclamé président, Damiba destitué". Jeune Afrique (in French). 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  25. ^ "Niger general Tchiani named head of transitional government after coup". Al Jazeera. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  26. ^ "Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso sign Sahel security pact". Reuters. 16 September 2023. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  27. ^ "Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger quit ECOWAS". Deutsche Welle. 28 January 2024. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  28. ^ "Mali, Burkina Faso et Niger finalisent l'Alliance des États du Sahel". Jeune Afrique (in French). 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  29. ^ "Sommet des chefs d'Etat de l'AES : Le traité instituant la "Confédération AES" adopté - leFaso.net". lefaso.net (in French). Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  30. ^ a b "Countries - The World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  31. ^ "Infographic: Niger Is a Major Uranium Supplier to the EU". Statista Daily Data. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  32. ^ Mitchell, Charlie (7 March 2024). "Niger on verge of first oil exports with 110,000 b/d Benin pipeline completed". S&P Global. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  33. ^ "Which are Africa's biggest exports?". World Economic Forum. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  34. ^ "Brief: Russia Deepens Counter-Terrorism Ties to Sahelian Post-Coup Regimes". jamestown.org. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  35. ^ "Will Turkey's inroads in Sahel spark cooperation with US in Africa? - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012". www.al-monitor.com. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  36. ^ First, Togo. "Customs: Alliance of Sahel States Want to Strengthen Trade Ties with Togo". www.togofirst.com. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
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