ECOWAS Launches New Diplomatic Blueprint in Dakar to Build Bridge with Sahel Alliance
DAKAR, SENEGAL — The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is making fresh moves to forge a workable partnership with the breakaway Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, is already in Dakar to lead the nation’s delegation at the first round of high-level diplomatic talks between ECOWAS and the AES.
The critical engagements, which commenced on Friday, 16 October 2026, represent a major step forward in ongoing regional efforts to restore diplomatic cohesion and protect the historic achievements of West African economic integration.
The Alliance, comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, was initially formed as a mutual defense pact in September 2023 following their breakaway from ECOWAS.
Relations between the three countries and ECOWAS became strained by heavy economic and political sanctions imposed by the larger regional bloc following the unconstitutional change of government in the Niger Republic.
Despite counter-offers and extended diplomatic olive branches from ECOWAS leaders, the three countries formalized their withdrawal from the community on January 29, 2025, triggering West Africa’s deepest institutional crisis since the founding of ECOWAS in 1975.
Rather than returning to the fold, the AES has steadily accelerated its own sovereign integration. The confederation has outlined ambitious plans to build a common market, launch a unified currency to replace the CFA franc, establish joint energy and communication infrastructure, and pool defensive military resources.
The fracture has exposed the region to security and economic vulnerabilities and rolled back integration progress made prior to the diplomatic breakup.
Recognizing these challenges, the two regional bodies are now seeking ways of actively building a bridge to holistically resolve ongoing cross-border regional crises.
According to a press statement released by the spokesperson of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, the primary objective of this initial round of talks is to align the strategic positions of remaining ECOWAS Member States, which will pave the way for structured, targeted negotiations with AES representatives at both technical and ministerial levels.
Diplomats expect this round of talks to culminate in a mutually accepted draft General Framework Agreement between the two blocs.
The framework will serve as a foundational roadmap ahead of the upcoming end-of-year ECOWAS Summit scheduled to take place in Abuja, Nigeria, in December 2026.
“Nigeria, as a key founding member of ECOWAS, remains committed to the principles of regional integration, peace, and security,” Adeniyi stated.
He emphasized that Ambassador Enikanolaiye’s active leadership in Dakar underscores Nigeria’s determination to ensure that the political exit of the Sahel states does not sever the deep-rooted cultural, socioeconomic, and geographical ties that bind West African nations.
