The Confederation of Sahel States (AES) continues to advance its institutional framework. In a meeting held in Ouagadougou, the parliamentary leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger were received by the Confederation’s president, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, to receive his directives ahead of the formal establishment of the confederal parliament.
Following the discussions, officials announced that the selection of deputies is expected to take place soon, paving the way for the inaugural session of this new assembly. The confederal parliament’s primary mandate will be to represent the populations of the three member states, support the operations of AES institutions, and help consolidate the political project championed by the authorities of the three nations.
This initiative marks another step in the institutional development of the Alliance of Sahel States, which now aims to create its own governance bodies after withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
However, the meeting takes place against a backdrop of deeply troubling security conditions. In recent weeks, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have experienced a surge in jihadist attacks, some of unprecedented scale, resulting in heavy losses among defense forces and civilian populations. Some observers have noted that convening the highest parliamentary authorities of the AES to expedite the creation of a parliament, while no comparable high-level meeting has been announced specifically to address the worsening security crisis, raises questions about the prioritisation of issues.
This perception fuels criticism from those who argue that AES leaders are now placing significant emphasis on building new political institutions, even as the security emergency continues to weigh heavily on communities. While not dismissing the long-term value of a confederal parliament, these voices contend that such a focus could be poorly received in a context where citizens primarily expect concrete responses to the increasing number of attacks.
Beyond its institutional significance, this development is also seen by some analysts as the beginning of a more pronounced political division in West Africa. By gradually establishing its own institutions, the AES is asserting its autonomy from ECOWAS, potentially deepening the separation between the two regional blocs and complicating prospects for broader political and security cooperation.
