Can three military-led nations forge a new sovereign state in the heart of Africa?

Nature · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have abandoned the regional bloc ECOWAS to form the Alliance of Sahel States. Driven by anti-colonial sentiment and military leadership, this confederation aims to pool resources, launch a common currency, and establish a unified sovereign state, fundamentally reshaping the political geography of the Sahel.

The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) emerged from a mutual defense pact in 2023, formalizing in 2024 as a confederation of three nations governed by military juntas. Following a series of coups, these states severed ties with Western powers, expelling French and American military forces and replacing them with Russian presence. By January 2025, the trio formally withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a move that shifted the regional balance of power. The AES now encompasses a larger land area than ECOWAS, covering over 2.78 million square kilometers.

Central to the AES mission is the pursuit of financial and economic sovereignty. While the member states remain part of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the CFA franc zone, they have established the Confederal Investment and Development Bank (BCID-AES) with an initial capital of 500 billion CFA francs. This institution is designed to finance infrastructure, agriculture, and energy projects. Furthermore, the alliance has launched a 5,000-strong joint military force, inaugurated in December 2025, to combat regional jihadist insurgencies that have plagued the area since 2003.

The confederation is also building institutional depth, including a 45-member parliament installed in August 2026 and a dedicated regional television channel. Beyond security and economics, the AES is asserting a new cultural identity, moving to withdraw from the International Criminal Court and prioritizing indigenous peace-building mechanisms. Despite high economic growth—with GDP rising by 6.51% in 2024—the bloc faces significant hurdles, including accusations of human rights violations and the challenge of transitioning from military rule to the federalized sovereign state envisioned by its leaders.

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