Second Summit of Heads of State of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES): Preparatory Meeting of Foreign Ministers

Ouagadougou, November 26, 2025 - Bamako is set to host the second session of the College of Heads of State of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) on December 22 and 23, 2025.

In preparation for this major summit, the Foreign Ministers of Burkina Faso, H.E. Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, of Mali, H.E. Abdoulaye Diop, and of Niger, H.E. Bakary Yaou Sangaré, are meeting on November 26, 2025, in Ouagadougou. During this session, they will examine the various reports prepared by experts during the 48 hours of work held in Ouagadougou, with a view to submitting them in December to the Council of Ministers, and subsequently to Their Excellencies Captain Ibrahim Traoré, General Assimi Goïta, and General Abdourahamane Tiani during the summit.

Welcoming his counterparts, H.E. Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré stated that this meeting is “an opportunity to review all the important measures taken since the first summit of July 2024, with a view to consolidating the confederation’s momentum.”

The ministers will present the progress achieved since the creation of the Confederation, as well as the implementation of the roadmap under the Malian presidency, structured around the three pillars of the AES: defense and security, diplomacy, and development.

They commended the achievements recorded so far, particularly:

Significant gains made by the defense and security forces,

The establishment of the Unified AES Force,

The imminent opening of the Confederal Investment and Development Bank (BCID-AES),

Enhanced coordination among member states at all levels.

According to H.E. Bakary Yaou Sangaré, the meeting in Ouagadougou is a “decisive step” toward consolidating these accomplishments and implementing the Confederation’s structural framework, notably through the examination and validation of key legal instruments and protocols.

Expressing gratitude for the support provided by Burkina Faso and Niger during Mali’s recent fuel crisis, H.E. Abdoulaye Diop, who chaired the opening ceremony, emphasized:“These advances, although not exhaustive, demonstrate that with political vision and consistent commitment, we are capable of achieving the noble objectives set by our Heads of State.”