Niamey Summit: AES marks its departure from ECOWAS

The heads of state of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) announced on July 6, 2024 their “irrevocable and immediate withdrawal” from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This is one of the key decisions contained in the final communiqué of the organization's first summit, read by the Nigerien Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bakary Yaou Sangaré. 

The AES is made up of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. 

Already in his opening speech to the summit, General Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger gave a foretaste of what will be decided at the end of the meeting: "the populations of the AES have irrevocably turned their backs on ECOWAS,” he said. According to him, it is now up to the leaders of the space to make this confederation “an alternative to any artificial regional grouping by building a sovereign community of peoples, far from the control of foreign powers”. 

Established by the Liptako Gourma charter, the AES is also committed to going beyond security issues by broadening the scope of action of the confederation to the areas of economy, diplomacy and social development. 

The organization will thus equip itself with “specific instruments for financing” its “economic and social policy”. This will involve the establishment of mechanisms aimed at “facilitating the free movement of people, goods and services within the AES area”. 

The three countries of the Alliance of Sahel States had, in January 2024, announced their departure from ECOWAS. They judged that the sub-regional organization was being exploited by France, the former colonial power. 

According to General Tiani, “ECOWAS having stood out for its lack of involvement in the fight against terrorism, the AES today constitutes the only efficient sub-regional grouping in this fight”. 

In terms of diplomacy, the AES is committed to “coordinating” its diplomatic actions with a view to “uniting” its “positions and speaking with the same voice on the international scene”. 

The crisis between ECOWAS and the AES states intensified following the coup d'état of July 26, 2023 led by General Abdourahmane Tiani against former president Mohamed Bazoum. 

After this putsch, the Economic Community of West African States imposed heavy economic sanctions on Niger and considered military intervention to restore the deposed president to his functions. These sanctions were lifted in February 2024. 

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have been facing terrorist attacks for more than a decade which have caused a humanitarian crisis. More than three million people are internally displaced in the three countries, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 

This security issue, in particular the fight against terrorism, will be on the menu of the summit of ECOWAS heads of state which is being held in Abuja on July 7, 2024, the day after the AES summit. The question of relations between ECOWAS and the AES will also be addressed.