AES Heads of State Summit: Passed the Treaty to Establish the “AES Alliance”

1. The first Summit of Heads of State of the Alliance for the Sahel (AES) was held in Niamey on July 6, 2024, chaired by His Excellency Brigadier General Abdelhammaan Tiyani, President of the National Committee for the Defence of the Fatherland and President of the Alliance for the Sahel. States, with the theme: “Alliance for the Sahel: a sovereign space of security and prosperity”.

2. Attendance:

Burkina Faso, His Excellency Captain Ibrahim Traoré, President and Head of State of Faso;

His Excellency Colonel Assimi Goita, Transitional President and Head of State of the Republic of Mali;

The Republic of Niger, His Excellency Brigadier General Abdulrahman Tiyani, Chairman of the National Council for the Defence of the Fatherland and Head of State.

3. The three (03) Heads of State outlined the geopolitical context of the West African sub-region and reviewed the security situation in the Alliance area. They also examined the functioning of the Alliance for the Sahel and development issues.

Geopolitical context of the West African sub-region

4. The Heads of State recalled that ECOWAS bears a heavy responsibility for the erosion of the values ​​of fraternity, solidarity and cooperation among the countries and peoples concerned.

5. In this regard, they stressed the harmful effects of illegal, unlawful and inhumane sanctions and threats of aggression imposed on sovereign States. The Heads of State praised the resilience of the peoples of the three African countries, which played a decisive role in lifting the sanctions imposed by the West African Economic and Monetary Union at the instigation of ECOWAS.

6. The Heads of State welcomed their immediate and irrevocable withdrawal from ECOWAS. They also reaffirmed the full sovereignty of the AES Member States in making strategic choices that would benefit the well-being of their peoples.

On the Security Situation of Alliance Space

7. The Heads of State recalled the indiscriminate terrorist attacks carried out by obscurantists, both instrumentalized and remotely controlled, in three (03) countries. They also assessed the economic, social and humanitarian impact of the phenomenon of terrorism.

8. The Heads of State expressed their sympathy to the victims of terrorist acts and their families and pledged to provide them with all necessary support.

9. They also expressed warm congratulations and encouragement to the three (03) State Defence and Security Forces for their professionalism, exemplary courage, legendary fighting prowess and high spirit of patriotism.

10. The Heads of State expressed their satisfaction with the success achieved by the three (03) countries in pooling their resources in the fight against terrorism. In this regard, they welcomed all the victories achieved in the area of ​​the Alliance, in particular the liberation of the city of Kidal, a symbol of the rediscovery of sovereignty and unity of the Republic of Mali and a key stage in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region.

11. The Heads of State reaffirmed their determination to jointly combat and eradicate all forms of terrorism and organized crime in the region of the Alliance. They paid warm tributes to all civilian and military victims of terrorism and insecurity in the Sahel region.

About the Operation of the AES Alliance

12. The Heads of State welcomed the results achieved by the three (03) countries in the fight against terrorism in the region of the alliance. They therefore decided to take further steps to promote greater integration among the member states. To this end, they adopted a treaty establishing an alliance between Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger, called the “Alliance for the Sahel States” Alliance, or AES Alliance.

13. They welcomed the creation of the Joint Force of the Sahel States (FC/AES) during the meeting of the Chiefs of Staff held in Niamey on March 5-6, 2024. The mission of this force is to implement the permanent trilateral plan to combat armed terrorist groups, transnational organized crime and other threats facing these countries.

14. On political issues, the heads of state stressed the need for coordinated diplomatic action and the importance of working together.

15. With regard to the free movement of persons and goods, the Head of State instructed the competent ministers to urgently prepare a draft additional protocol in this regard to deal with the repercussions associated with the withdrawal of ECOWAS member States.

On development issues

16. The Heads of State stressed the need to focus resources on implementing structural and integration projects in strategic sectors, in particular:

– agriculture and food security;

– Water and the environment; Energy and mining;

– trade and industrial processing;

– infrastructure and transportation;

– Communications and telecommunications;

– free movement of people and goods;

– Digital Economy

17. The Heads of State also decided to pay special attention to:

– social cohesion;

– recovery and stabilization;

– youth, sports and culture;

– education and professional training;

– employment and;

– healthy.

18. The heads of state decided to establish the AES Investment Bank and set up a stabilization fund. To this end, they instructed the ministers responsible for foreign affairs and development affairs to take steps to implement these measures.

19. As part of the AES communication, the Head of State instructed the ministers to implement an effective communication strategy to provide health information to the population through greater use of national languages ​​in public and private media. They also decided to create certified digital platforms powered by narratives that meet the people’s wishes.

20. The Heads of State reviewed the international political situation in which multiple tensions have had detrimental consequences for the economies of all countries, international peace and security.

twenty one. The Heads of State endorsed the conclusions of the ministerial meetings held in Bamako on 25 November 2023, in Bamako on 30 November and 1 December 2023, in Ouagadougou on 15 February 2024 and in Niamey on 17 May 2024. In fact, it is possible to strengthen the institutional architecture of the AES and lay the foundations for building an economically and socially prosperous region. To this end, they instructed the relevant ministers to develop a roadmap.

twenty two. The Heads of State expressed their deep gratitude to all partners who continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the resilient people of the Sahel in the fight against terrorism, the pursuit of well-being and the protection of sovereignty.

twenty three. The Heads of State stressed the need to ensure better coordination in the monitoring and implementation of the decisions taken at the various meetings of the Academy of Heads of State. They also welcomed the establishment of AES National Committees in three (03) countries to ensure better coordination.

twenty four. The Head of State of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, and the Head of State of the Republic of Mali, Colonel Assimi Goita, expressed their deep gratitude to the President of the National Council for the Defence of the Fatherland, Brigadier General Abdulrahman Tiyani, and thanked the Government and people of Niger for their warm hospitality and for providing all the facilities to ensure the smooth holding of the First Summit of Heads of State of the Alliance for the Sahel.

25. The Heads of State agreed to hold the next session of the Academy in 2025 in …, on a date to be jointly agreed through diplomatic channels.

Signed in Niamey on 6 July 2024

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