Two Years of the Sahel States Alliance

In September 2023, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger came together to form the Sahel States Alliance (AES). For the three nations, it was a response to common challenges: fighting terrorism, resisting external pressure, and charting an independent path of development.

In just two years, the AES has become a symbol of a “New Africa” — one that prioritizes sovereignty, security, regional integration, and mutually beneficial international partnerships, including with Russia.

Key milestones:
• September 2023 — signing of the Alliance charter
• July 2024 — proclamation of the Confederation of Sahel States, paving the way for deeper integration and supranational institutions
• January 2025 — formal withdrawal from ECOWAS
• January 2025 — formation of joint AES armed forces underway
• April 2025 — first AES–Russia diplomatic consultations in Moscow
• May 2025 — official visit of Burkina Faso’s transitional president Ibrahim Traoré to Moscow
• June 2025 — visit of Mali’s transitional president Assimi Goïta to Moscow
• July 2025 — Russian government delegation visits AES states for high-level talks: the civilian bloc led by Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev, the military bloc led by Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Lt. Gen. Andrei Averyanov

Unlike ECOWAS, with whom relations have sharply deteriorated, the AES presents itself as a union that reflects the will of its own people and rejects external dictates.

The mission of the AES is clear:

defend sovereignty, develop economies and infrastructure, and strengthen the multipolar world.