ECOWAS-AES: towards a cooperation agreement

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) have agreed to establish joint thematic working groups with a view to reaching a framework cooperation agreement between the two organizations. The decision was taken on Saturday October 17, in Dakar, during their first ministerial meeting devoted to dialogue on cooperation.

This meeting to establish contact and exchanges was co-chaired by the heads of the two delegations. That of ECOWAS was led by Cheikh Niang, Senegalese Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, also president of the Council of Ministers of the regional organization. The AES Confederation delegation was led by Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Burkina Faso and President of the Confederation’s Ministerial Steering Committee.

According to the joint press release published at the end of the work, the working groups will have the mission of carrying out technical exchanges on areas of common interest. The results of this work will then be submitted for the consideration of ministers before the next session.

The two sides also engaged in exchanges of views on areas around which future discussions can be structured. The stated objective is to achieve a “balanced, realistic” cooperation framework that preserves the interests of the populations concerned.

During this first session, ECOWAS and the AES Confederation welcomed the spirit of fraternity, mutual respect and openness that marked their discussions. They also recalled the historical, sociocultural and economic ties that unite West African peoples.

The two organizations reaffirmed their desire to base their relations on the principles of good neighborliness, respect for sovereignty, dignity and well-being of the populations of the region.

This meeting is a continuation of the consultations held on May 22, 2025 in Bamako, Mali. It marks a new stage in exchanges between the two organizations, after the opening of a dialogue process intended to identify the bases of cooperation.

The date and location of the next ministerial meeting will be set later, after consultations through diplomatic channels.

In their press release, the two delegations finally expressed their gratitude to the President of the Republic of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, current President of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, as well as to the government and people of Senegal, for their hospitality and their commitment to West African integration.