ECOWAS, AES agree to build cooperation framework at Dakar meeting, after split in 2025
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) have agreed on ground rules for life after the split.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) concluded a cooperation framework for post-split collaboration during a foundation meeting in Dakar, Senegal. This framework will govern their diplomatic relations, economic ties, development, and other shared priorities. Thematic working groups will conduct technical consultations to refine the final framework.
ECOWAS and AES members, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all facing military leadership, withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2024, citing ECOWAS' alleged foreign influence and insufficient support in combating terrorism. The three countries formed the AES confederation, which resulted in ECOWAS losing three of its fifteen members in January 2025, sparking concerns about trade, free movement, and regional security.
After the split, ECOWAS revised its strategy from pressuring AES to return to the bloc to finding practical means for coexistence while preserving essential services like visa-free travel and goods flow. The Dakar dialogue, chaired by ECOWAS Council of Ministers chair Sheikh Niang and AES steering committee chair Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, was the first formal meeting since the January 2025 split.
The new agreement aims to maintain crucial elements like visa-free movement and the smooth flow of goods.
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