Malians have taken to the streets with placards welcoming the new union with Burkina Faso and Niger, the so-called Confederation of Sahel States, and thanking its leader, Malian President Assimi Goita, who has assumed the presidency of the alliance for one year.
Locals in Bamako performed folk dances and sang songs dedicated to the leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support for the three West African countries.
Earlier, a similar demonstration with the same message took place in Niamey, the capital of Niger.
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.
Later, in late January of this year, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS, citing the bloc's ineffectiveness in combating terrorism. They also called the bloc a "threat" to its members and slammed it for imposing "illegal, illegitimate, inhumane, and irresponsible" sanctions on the three countries after the military took power in them.
In May, the nations endorsed a preliminary agreement outlining the establishment of a confederation. Finally, the leaders of the three nations signed a charter establishing the Confederation of Sahel States during the inaugural summit of the heads of state and governments of the AES in Niamey on Saturday.