Di Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and di Alliance of Sahel States (AES) don agree to set up joint working groups wey go develop one cooperation framework agreement wey go guide how di two sides go take relate going forward. Di arrangement, wey dem reach for Dakar, Senegal on Saturday, 17 October, go cover cross-border trade, security collaboration and oda regional ties wey don dey under pressure since Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali comot from ECOWAS.
Di meeting na di first ministerial session of di ECOWAS-AES Dialogue on Cooperation, and both sides commit to technical discussions towards one framework wey go protect dia respective interests.
For di joint communiqué wey dem release late Saturday, di two sides welcome wetin dem describe as spirit of fraternity, mutual respect and openness during di talks. Dem also stress how e dey important to keep good neighbourly relations as each side respect di oda kontri sovereignty.
Di working groups go look into areas of common interest, and dem go submit wetin dem find give di ministers to consider before di next session. Di communiqué tok say both sides wan establish one “balanced and realistic framework” wey go safeguard di interests of dia populations.
Na Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Niang lead di ECOWAS delegation, and na im dey chair di bloc Council of Ministers. Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré lead di AES side and chair im ministerial steering committee.
Nigeria follow for di meeting, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, represent di kontri. For statement wey di Ministry of Foreign Affairs drop, di meeting na to start to build structure wey ECOWAS and di AES go fit take collaborate, and Nigeria tok say di matter dey important for di kontri and for di whole West African region.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announce say dem dey comot from ECOWAS for January 2024 afta tension over military coups, sanctions and di move to civilian rule, and di withdrawal take effect on 29 January 2025. Before di Dakar meeting, di two sides bin hold consultations for Bamako, Mali on 22 May 2025.
Di communiqué no announce any new trade agreement or any change to di cross-border arrangements wey dey ground, but e set out process for technical talks before ministers go consider wetin di working groups recommend. Dem neva fix date or venue for di next meeting; di joint statement tok say diplomatic channels go determine am.
Di three AES kontris no get sea, so dem dey rely on routes through neighbouring kontris to reach seaports and international markets, while di coastal economies still get commercial links with di Sahel. Di proposed agreement fit provide basis for cooperation on cross-border trade, transport and regional infrastructure. Di parties thank Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and im government for hosting di meeting and supporting West African integration.
