The leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have reaffirmed their readiness to engage ECOWAS in good-faith negotiations despite their formal withdrawal from the regional bloc in January 2025 and the creation of the Confederation of Sahel States.
Meeting in Bamako, the three heads of state endorsed the outcome of consultations held in May between their foreign ministers and the ECOWAS Commission, the first formal talks since their exit. ECOWAS has meanwhile approved their continued participation in key technical structures, including GIABA and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, under special non-member status, ensuring continuity in anti–money laundering efforts, banking operations and development financing.
The regional body has also urged its members to sustain and deepen security cooperation with the Sahel states, acknowledging that counterterrorism efforts require cross-border coordination amid worsening insecurity.
While cooperation continues, tensions remain evident, notably following the detention of a Nigerian military aircraft in Burkina Faso after an unauthorized emergency landing, an incident later resolved through high-level diplomatic engagement and official apologies from Abuja.
At the same time, relations between Mali and Senegal highlight a contrasting trajectory of strengthened collaboration, with renewed military cooperation, joint border patrols and growing urgency due to jihadist activity near Senegal’s frontier.
Economic ties between Dakar and Bamako also remain robust, with Mali maintaining its position as Senegal’s leading African export destination in 2024.
