Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have renewed formal engagement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), agreeing to set up joint working groups to negotiate a proposed cooperation agreement between the two regional blocs. The decision was reached during the first session of a ministerial meeting on cooperation in Dakar, Senegal, according to a joint communiqué dated October 17, 2026.
The communiqué indicated that the working groups would undertake technical discussions to develop a cooperation framework between ECOWAS and the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), made up of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The meeting is expected to provide the groundwork for future relations and collaboration between the two organisations.
Under the arrangement, the working groups will present their findings to ministers for consideration ahead of the next ministerial meeting. The date and venue for the subsequent session will be agreed upon through diplomatic consultations.
The ECOWAS delegation was led by Senegal’s Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, Cheikh Niang, who chairs the ECOWAS Council of Ministers. The AES delegation was headed by Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, who chairs the confederation’s ministerial steering committee. The two ministers co-chaired the meeting and signed the communiqué on behalf of their respective organisations.
According to the communiqué, both parties welcomed the atmosphere of fraternity, mutual respect and openness that characterised the discussions. They also recognised the longstanding historical, socio-cultural and economic ties among their populations, agreeing that future relations should be based on good neighbourliness and respect for sovereignty, dignity and the welfare of West African citizens.
Both blocs expressed their commitment to developing a cooperation framework that would be balanced, realistic and protective of the interests of their respective populations. The Dakar meeting followed earlier consultations held in Bamako, Mali, on May 22, 2025. During those discussions, the two sides exchanged views on shared interests that could serve as a foundation for subsequent engagements, the communiqué stated.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS in January 2024 following escalating tensions with the regional organisation after military takeovers in the three countries. Their departure sparked concerns over the future of regional trade, the free movement of people and security cooperation across West Africa.
The communiqué expressed gratitude to Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, as well as the government and people of Senegal, for their hospitality and support for regional integration.
