Gathered in the Nigerien capital for the first summit of the Alliance of Sahel States, the Heads of State of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim TRAORE, of Mali, Colonel Assimi GOÏTA and of Niger, General Abdourahamane TIANI adopted the treaty establishing the Confederation “Alliance of Sahel States (AES)” equipped with legal instruments. Among others:
– The president of the transition of Mali, Colonel Assimi GOÏTA will assume the presidency for a mandate of one year.
– Burkina Faso will host the first parliamentary session of the alliance.
– Creation of an AES investment bank and a stabilization fund for immediate launch and use of a single currency.
– The alliance’s stated goal is mutual protection 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.”
The military leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have hailed a newly signed treaty as a step “towards greater integration” between the three countries, in the reiteration of their stance of their shift away from conventional regional and Western allies, and affirmed their irrevocable decision to leave ECOWAS.
During a summit in the Nigerien capital of Niamey on Saturday, the three leaders signed a confederation treaty that aimed to strengthen a mutual defense pact announced last year, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
The signing ended the first joint summit of the leaders of the AES.
