Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali in Talks with ECOWAS After Leaving the Bloc

Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali have started talks again with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They want to create a plan for working together even after they left the regional group.

The three countries left ECOWAS in January 2025. They formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) because of disagreements with ECOWAS.

The meeting on Saturday took place in Dakar. This is the first time officials from both sides met at a ministerial level, even though talks have been happening since January 2025.

In a joint statement released on Saturday evening, both groups expressed happiness about the discussions. They highlighted fraternity, mutual respect and openness as the main principles for their talks. They also pointed out the need for good neighborly relations and respect for each other's sovereignty.

The two sides agreed to set up joint working groups. These groups will focus on creating a framework for cooperation.

Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Traore, led the AES team. Senegal’s Foreign Minister, Cheikh Niang, was in charge of the ECOWAS delegation.