The president of the National Commission of the Confederation of Sahel States, Bassolma Bazié, on Tuesday strongly defended the sovereignty-driven approach of Alliance of Sahel States countries during a high-level meeting in Lomé focused on a new regional strategy.
Addressing officials from ECOWAS and the African Union, Bazié praised regional support—particularly from Togo—in maintaining trade flows and facilitating access to defense equipment.
He insisted that the Sahel’s security struggle represents a “conquest” of sovereignty rather than a concession, while criticizing what he described as external interference in governance and security matters.
Bazié also challenged reports by some human rights organizations, accusing them of lacking verification and using ambiguous language regarding jihadist groups, while rejecting allegations against national security forces.
Domestically, he highlighted efforts under Ibrahim Traoré, including large-scale public mobilization, health sector reforms, and investments in agriculture and security.
He reaffirmed the AES bloc’s intention to diversify military partnerships to strengthen autonomy and rejected calls for a rapid return to traditional constitutional systems, describing them as “imported democracy” models. He concluded by reiterating the commitment of Sahel states toreclaim political, economic, and security sovereignty despite ongoing challenges.
