Alliance Of Sahel States

The Alliance of Sahel States (AoSS) is a mutual defense pact created between Mali, Niger on 16 September 2023. The pact was created during the 2023 Nigerien crisis in which the West African political bloc ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily to restore civilian rule after a coup in Niger earlier that year. All of these three states were increasing ties to Russia during creation of the organization. As such Russia is presumed to be behind this agreement. Josep Borrell, EU Foreign Minister, stated it led to a ‘new geopolitical configuration’ in the region.

The alliance's stated goal is to protect against possible threats of armed rebellion or external aggression by emphasizing that "any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties."

This alliance is not to be confused with the Sahel Alliance (''Alliance Sahel'' in French).

Background

The Sahel has been the site of an ongoing jihadist insurgency since 2003, which has led to many conflicts in the region, such as the Mali War and the Boko Haram insurgency. All three member states have had their elected pro-Western governments overthrown by their militaries, and each is ruled by a junta as part of the Coup Belt. In 2022 Mali withdrew from the internationally backed G5 Sahel alliance. Niger and Burkina Faso did so in 2023, leading to announcement of the dissolution of the framework by its last two members Chad and Mauritania three days later.

In the 2020 Malian coup d'état, Assimi Goïta and the National Committee for the Salvation of the People seized power in Mali after overthrowing the elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. Goïta later led a second coup in 2021 which deposed the interim president Bah Ndaw, who had been nominated to lead a transitional military government.

Just months later, in the 2021 Guinean coup d'état the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development removed the elected Alpha Condé and installed Mamady Doumbouya as transitional president.

A faction of Burkina Faso's military overthrew their existing military government in the September 2022 coup d'état, installing Ibrahim Traoré over Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who came to power in the January 2022 coup d'état which toppled the democratic government of President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.

Most recently, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland removed the elected government of Niger's Mohamed Bazoum, installing Abdourahamane Tchiani and a new junta in the 2023 coup d'état.

All three of the alliance's member states are suspended members of ECOWAS; after the coup in Niger, ECOWAS has threatened to intervene militarily and restore President Bazoum's government, which resulted in the Nigerien crisis. The Nigerien government has the backing of Mali and Burkina Faso, which promised military aid to Niger in the event of an intervention, and Guinea, which has been offering diplomatic support. The promises of military aid resulted in the creation of AES as a mutual defense bloc for the three nations in an attempt to stave off an ECOWAS intervention. On 28 January 2024, the three countries announced via a joint statement that they were withdrawing from ECOWAS.

The alliance aims to create an economic and monetary union with a proposed currency called the ''Sahel''.

See also

* G5 Sahel
* Liptako–Gourma Authority

External links

Charter of Liptako-Gourma establishing the Alliance of Sahel States

References

{{reflist

2023 Nigerien crisis
21st-century military alliances
Treaties entered into force in 2023
Military history of Burkina Faso
Military history of Mali
Military history of Niger
2023 in international relations
2023 establishments in Africa