Ministers from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are meeting in Ouagadougou on 11 and 12 November for an Alliance of Sahel States (AES) Council of Ministers session to review the confederation’s second-year roadmap, according to Burkina Faso’s foreign ministry.
The session, the ministry said in a statement, prepares the next meeting of the AES heads of state and comes as the three countries deal with the return of thousands of citizens expelled from Guinea.
What is the AES Council of Ministers reviewing?
The ministers are to assess the Year II Roadmap under three pillars: defence and security, diplomacy and development, and to make recommendations for the confederation’s “consolidation”. Burkina Faso’s Minister of State for Defence, Célestin Simporé, opened the session, with delegations from Mali and Niger and experts from the three countries.
Simporé said the defence pillar protects the member states against what he called “the terrorist hydra and the imperialist forces”, wording that reflects the Burkinabe government’s position. He said the armies’ joint force was showing resilience and that diplomacy lets the three states pursue partnerships “based strictly on our national and confederal interests”.
What did the ministry say about Guinea?
The ministry said the opening session also raised the deportation of citizens from Guinea, and Simporé thanked Malian authorities for their help. Independent reporting supports the underlying events. Africanews reported that Guinea expelled Burkinabe gold miners after a ban on artisanal mining around Siguiri, and Mali said it had received about 160,000 people returned from Guinea.
Guinea’s authorities say the operation targets illegal mining and environmental damage regardless of nationality, and have given far lower figures for those handed to embassies. The figures differ and have not been independently reconciled. Niger-specific expulsions were not found in reporting.
What happens next?
The ministers’ recommendations go to the AES College of Heads of State. The ministry did not give a date. The AES has also featured in DNE Africa’s coverage of Niger’s relations with France. The AES’s own claims of progress were not independently verified.
FAQ
What is the AES Council of Ministers?
It is the ministerial body of the Alliance of Sahel States, made up of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which meets before heads of state.
Where and when is the AES Council of Ministers meeting?
In Ouagadougou on 11 and 12 November, according to Burkina Faso’s foreign ministry.
Why was Guinea raised at the AES Council of Ministers?
Guinea has expelled thousands of foreign gold miners, mostly Burkinabe and Malian, after banning artisanal mining around Siguiri.
