The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) used a high-level UN General Assembly side event to highlight its approach to regional security, sovereignty and development, with participants portraying the bloc as an important force in containing insecurity across the Sahel.
Foreign ministers from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, joined by Niger’s prime minister, hosted the event under the theme “Security and Development in the Sahel: The Case of the Alliance of Sahel States.”
Discussions focused on the AES’s efforts to strengthen security cooperation and stabilise the region. Some participants described the bloc as a “barrier” protecting coastal countries from the spread of terrorism, while highlighting the military and financial costs borne by its three members.
Speakers also argued that regional security solutions should be shaped with the direct involvement of Sahelian countries, rather than imposed externally.
The event highlighted the AES’s broader objective of linking security, sovereignty and sustainable development, while maintaining that the bloc remains open to cooperation based on mutual respect and shared interests.
