The Malian presidency has announced that Bamako will host the second summit of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) in December 2025, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing realignment of regional political and security frameworks in West Africa.
Set to bring together Mali’s transitional leader Assimi Goïta, Burkina Faso’s President Captain Ibrahim Traoré, and Niger’s President General Abdourahamane Tiani, the summit underscores the deepening cooperation between the three military-led governments that make up the AES bloc.
The decision to convene in Bamako follows consultations between the three leaders and reflects the continued consolidation of their alliance, initially formalized in September 2023 and later restructured into a confederation during the inaugural Niamey summit in July 2024.
This second summit comes nearly a year after Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger officially withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2025—a historic move that has reshaped regional diplomacy and security dynamics.
Despite multiple mediation efforts by ECOWAS, including interventions from the presidents of Senegal and Ghana, the three AES countries have held firm in their withdrawal.
Nevertheless, both blocs have expressed interest in establishing a new framework for cooperation, even as strategic and political differences persist.
The December gathering is expected to further define the operational structure and priorities of the Confederation, particularly in areas of joint defense, economic collaboration, and foreign policy alignment.
The AES alliance positions itself as a counterweight to what its members describe as ineffective regional mechanisms and foreign interference.
ECOWAS, while reiterating its desire to maintain dialogue, faces mounting challenges as it navigates its relationship with the AES bloc amid growing regional fragmentation and shifting power balances in the Sahel.
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