The fate of the Sahel region is now determined by its inhabitants, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop stated during the Crans Montana Forum in Belgium and the EU's capital, Brussels.
"With the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), there is a new geopolitical reality. Whether you like it or not, it doesn't matter," he said on Thursday in the Belgian capital. "The fate of our countries will not be decided in Brussels, Paris, Washington, or London; it will be decided in Bamako, Ouagadougou, Niamey, etc."
With brother nations such as Benin or the ECOWAS member states, "we will need to discuss the terms of living together." Dialogue is essential, stressed the Malian foreign minister.
He also pointed out that this is the first time a member country of the AES has ventured outside Africa.
In September of last year, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali formed the 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.