Sahel states restart dialogue with ECOWAS

Three junta-ruled Sahel states on Saturday resumed dialogue with the ECOWAS regional bloc which they quit over 18 months ago, agreeing to work together towards a cooperation “framework agreement”.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, led by juntas that came to power between 2020 and 2023, left the Economic Community of West African States in January 2025, after teaming up to create their own group, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Talks between ECOWAS and the AES had been under way since January 2025 but Saturday was their first official ministerial meeting.
In a joint statement issued Saturday evening, the two sides “welcomed the spirit of fraternity, mutual respect and openness” of th...