Alliance des États du Sahel Alliance of Sahel States | |
---|---|
Largest city | Bamako, Mali |
Lingua franca | French |
Demonym(s) | Sahélien |
Type | Confederation |
Partner States | |
Leaders | |
Assimi Goïta | |
Establishment | 6 July 2024 |
Area | |
• Total | 2,781,392[1] km2 (1,073,901 sq mi) (8th) |
• Water (%) | 0.74 |
Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 71,375,590[1] (20th) |
• Density | 25.7/km2 (66.6/sq mi) |
GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | Int$179.357 billion[2] (81st) |
• Per capita | Int$2,513 |
GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | US$62.380 billion[2] (88th) |
• Per capita | US$874 |
HDI (2022) | 0.413 low |
Currency | West African CFA franc / Sahel (proposed)[3] |
Time zone | UTC+0 / +1 (GMT / WAT) |
Drives on | right |
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES/ASS)[4][5][6][a] (French: Alliance des États du Sahel (AES)) is a confederation[9] formed between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. It originated as a mutual defense pact created on 16 September 2023 following the 2023 Nigerien crisis, in which the West African political bloc ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily to restore civilian rule after a coup in Niger earlier that year.[6][10][11][12] All three member states are former members of ECOWAS and currently under the control of juntas following a string of successful coups, the 2021 Malian coup d'état, the September 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état, and the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état.[13][14][15] The confederation was established on 6 July 2024. It is against the policy of neocolonialism in Africa and the world.[16] It is also anti-French and anti-ECOWAS in outlook, as it disagrees with many of their policies.[17][18][19] The group has expressed strong opposition to Ukrainian support of rebels in the Sahel after comments by Ukrainian officials in August 2024 stating they had supported separatists that killed Malian soldiers.[20] The AES has called on the United Nations to take action against Ukraine and accused Ukraine of supporting terrorism in the Sahel. As a result, Mali and Niger have severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine.[21]
Within the territory of the AES, there are various terrorist and insurgent groups including ISGS, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, and various separatist groups fighting in Northern Mali such as the Azawad Movement. The war against these groups has been assisted by both French and United States troops, with further assistance from UN peacekeeping forces. In 2024, the AES cut off military relations with Western powers and replaced Western military forces on their territory with Russian mercenaries, specifically the Wagner Group.[13][22]
The confederation's stated goal is to pool resources to build energy and communications infrastructure, establish a common market, implement a monetary union under proposed currency the Sahel, allow free movement of persons, enable industrialization, and invest in agriculture, mines and the energy sector, with the end goal of federalizing into a single sovereign state.[22][3]
planned dissolution
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).:0
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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