{"id":5438,"date":"2026-03-15T08:06:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T08:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/?p=5438"},"modified":"2026-03-05T14:03:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:03:01","slug":"deep-dive-into-the-alliance-of-sahel-states-aes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/deep-dive-into-the-alliance-of-sahel-states-aes\/","title":{"rendered":"Deep Dive into the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-path-to-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-137\">The <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"4\"><span class=\"citation-137\">Alliance of Sahel States<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-137\"> (French: <\/span><i data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"38\"><span class=\"citation-137\">Alliance des \u00c9tats du Sahel<\/span><\/i><span class=\"citation-137\">, or <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"70\"><span class=\"citation-137\">AES<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-137 citation-end-137\">) is not just a military pact; it is a fundamental redrawing of the map of West Africa.<\/span> <span class=\"citation-136\">Established on September 16, 2023, by the military leaders of <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"223\"><span class=\"citation-136\">Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-136 citation-end-136\">, the alliance was born out of a shared rejection of Western influence and a perceived failure of traditional regional blocs.<\/span><\/p><div class=\"03bb5c02e2f58c6bb7f372bc13011e34\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:10px;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ZXZ -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3054782407\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br><br \/>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"1\" \/>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"2\">1. <span class=\"citation-135 citation-end-135\">The Founding: The Liptako-Gourma Charter<\/span><\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\"><span class=\"citation-134\">The alliance was solidified through the <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"3\" data-index-in-node=\"40\"><span class=\"citation-134\">Liptako-Gourma Charter<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-134 citation-end-134\">, named after the &#8220;tri-state&#8221; border region where the three countries meet\u2014a zone that has been the epicenter of jihadist violence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"4\">Key Military Provisions:<\/h3>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"5\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"5,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-133\">Article 6 (The &#8220;NATO&#8221; Clause):<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-133 citation-end-133\"> The charter explicitly states that an attack on the sovereignty or territorial integrity of one member is an attack on all.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"5,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Collective Defense:<\/b><span class=\"citation-132 citation-end-132\"> It mandates mutual assistance, including the use of armed force, to restore security.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"5,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-131\">The United Force (FU-AES):<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-131\"> In December 2025, the bloc launched a <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"5,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"65\"><span class=\"citation-131\">5,000-member joint military force<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-131 citation-end-131\"> headquartered in Niamey, Niger, to coordinate counter-terrorism operations without French or UN oversight.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"6\" \/>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"7\">2. Evolution: From Alliance to Confederation<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\"><span class=\"citation-130\">What began as a security pact has rapidly evolved into a political and economic <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"8\" data-index-in-node=\"80\"><span class=\"citation-130\">Confederation of Sahel States<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-130 citation-end-130\">.<\/span> <span class=\"citation-129\">This shift represents a total &#8220;divorce&#8221; from <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"8\" data-index-in-node=\"156\"><span class=\"citation-129\">ECOWAS<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-129 citation-end-129\"> (the Economic Community of West African States), which the AES leaders accused of being a &#8220;puppet&#8221; of France.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"9\">The Four Pillars of the AES:<\/h3>\n<ol start=\"1\" data-path-to-node=\"10\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"10,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Collective Security:<\/b><span class=\"citation-128 citation-end-128\"> Joint military operations and intelligence sharing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"10,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-127\">Economic Integration:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-127 citation-end-127\"> Moving toward a common market and industrialization.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"10,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Financial Sovereignty:<\/b><span class=\"citation-126 citation-end-126\"> Establishing independent financial institutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10,3,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"10,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-125\">Cultural Identity:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-125 citation-end-125\"> Promoting a &#8220;Pan-African&#8221; curriculum and social ties.<\/span><\/p><div class=\"03bb5c02e2f58c6bb7f372bc13011e34\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:10px;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ZXZ -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3054782407\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br><br \/>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"11\" \/>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"12\">3. Economic Revolution: Breaking the CFA Franc<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13\"><span class=\"citation-124\">The most radical goal of the AES is the pursuit of financial independence from the <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"13\" data-index-in-node=\"83\"><span class=\"citation-124\">CFA Franc<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-124 citation-end-124\">, a colonial-era currency tied to the French Treasury.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"14\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"14,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"14,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-123\">The AES Investment Bank:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-123\"> In December 2025, the bloc established the <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"14,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"68\"><span class=\"citation-123\">Confederal Investment and Development Bank (BCID-AES)<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-123\"> with an initial capital of roughly <\/span><b data-path-to-node=\"14,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"157\"><span class=\"citation-123\">$895 million<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-123 citation-end-123\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"14,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"14,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">A New Currency:<\/b><span class=\"citation-122 citation-end-122\"> The leaders have proposed the creation of a new, unified Sahelian currency to replace the CFA Franc, aimed at giving these nations control over their own monetary policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"14,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"14,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Resource Pooling:<\/b> The bank is funded by the &#8220;sovereign wealth&#8221; of the region: gold from Mali and Burkina Faso, and uranium and oil from Niger.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"15\" \/>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"16\">4. Geopolitical Re-Alignment<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"17\">The AES marks a historic pivot from the West toward the &#8220;Global East.&#8221;<\/p>\n<table data-path-to-node=\"18\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Old Partners (Pre-2022)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>New Partners (AES Era)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"18,1,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"18,1,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">France:<\/b> Former colonial master; provided military (Operation Barkhane).<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"18,1,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"18,1,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Russia:<\/b> Provides military hardware, Wagner\/Africa Corps security, and grain.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"18,2,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"18,2,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">European Union:<\/b> Provided development aid with democratic &#8220;strings&#8221; attached.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"18,2,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"18,2,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">China:<\/b> Heavy investment via the <b data-path-to-node=\"18,2,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"32\">Belt and Road Initiative<\/b> in mines and infrastructure.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"18,3,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"18,3,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">United States:<\/b> Focused on drone bases and specialized counter-terror training.<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"18,3,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"18,3,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Turkey &amp; Iran:<\/b> Suppliers of advanced drones (Bayraktar) and technical cooperation.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"19\" \/>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"20\"><\/h2>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"20\">5. The Stakes: Success vs. Isolation<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"21\">The AES is a high-stakes gamble. If it succeeds, it could provide a blueprint for other African nations to reclaim their resources and sovereignty. However, critics point to significant risks:<\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"22\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"22,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"22,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Economic Blowback:<\/b> Leaving ECOWAS means facing new tariffs and losing access to a market of 400 million people.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"22,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"22,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Authoritarianism:<\/b> Human rights groups warn that &#8220;sovereignty&#8221; is being used as a shield to delay elections and suppress dissent.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"22,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"22,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Security Gap:<\/b> While they have new weapons, the jihadist insurgency continues to displace millions, and the lack of Western intelligence support remains a challenge.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"23\">The Alliance of Sahel States is more than a treaty; it is a &#8220;Sankara-style&#8221; attempt to prove that landlocked, resource-rich nations can rise on their own terms.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Alliance of Sahel States (French: Alliance des \u00c9tats du Sahel, or AES) is not just a military pact; it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[178,201,182,200,202],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-africa","category-burkina-faso","category-deep-dives","category-mali","category-niger"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5438"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5438\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5439,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5438\/revisions\/5439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}