How Can ECOWAS Mend Its Relationship With AES Countries?
13:28 01.06.2024 (Updated: 10:51 03.06.2024)
© AFP 2023 OUSMANE MAKAVELI
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In September of last year, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) with the primary goal of improving their collective security measures and promoting socioeconomic development for their populations. In May, the nations endorsed a preliminary agreement outlining the establishment of a confederation.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) must recognize its management mistakes and outline new prospects in the relationship with the AES, Benoit Ngom, president of the African Diplomatic Academy think tank, told Sputnik Africa.
"It is undeniable that ECOWAS has committed management, diplomatic, and political errors," he said, "notably in relation to how these three countries that left were treated."
According to Ngom, the two organizations have space to interact: the existence of AES "is not antagonistic to the existence of ECOWAS or to the presence of these states within ECOWAS."
"[Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger] have sub-regional issues to address. They have consulted with each other and created this entity. We should not demonize them," he concluded.
The AES nations declared their exit from ECOWAS in late January, alleging the organization's lack of efficiency in addressing terrorism. Furthermore, they called the bloc a "threat" to its member states and strongly criticized it for imposing "unlawful, illegitimate, inhumane, and irresponsible" sanctions on the three nations following the military's assumption of power.
Interestingly, this week, Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine encouraged the ECOWAS members to join the AES, noting that there are states that would like to join the alliance since "the culture of sovereignty and dignity of the continent exists within the AES."
