Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are seeking a framework for cooperation with ECOWAS despite their withdrawal from the regional bloc. The renewed engagement offers an opportunity to rebuild regional coordination, but persistent insecurity and political mistrust remain formidable obstacles.
West Africa’s security challenges are increasingly difficult to separate from its diplomatic divisions. The decision by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to resume formal discussions with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) therefore represents an important opening for regional cooperation.
The talks, held in Dakar on October 17, 2026, brought together representatives of ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), the confederation formed by the three countries. Both sides agreed to establish joint thematic working groups to develop a framework cooperation agreement.
The engagement is significant because the three Sahelian countries formally withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025 following prolonged disagreements with the regional bloc. Although discussions had continued since their departure, the Dakar meeting was described as the first official ministerial-level engagement between the parties.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have endured years of armed violence involving jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Weak state presence, porous borders and local grievances have helped armed groups operate across large territories, placing security forces and civilians under sustained pressure.
The threat is no longer confined to the central Sahel. Violence has increasingly threatened northern Benin and Togo, while Nigeria continues to confront Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgencies, banditry and mass kidnappings.
These overlapping threats make regional coordination essential. Intelligence-sharing, border surveillance and joint counterterrorism operations depend on cooperation between neighbouring states. Political disagreements can weaken these mechanisms precisely when armed groups are exploiting gaps in regional security.
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