Niger Invites ECOWAS Countries To Join New Alliance Of Sahel States (AES)

Amid stalemate in ongoing talks, Niger has extended an olive branch to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).Nigerien Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine ZeineAmid stalemate in ongoing talks, Niger has extended an olive branch to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).The Nigerien Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, has invited all ECOWAS countries to join the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This invite follows ECOWAS’s stated intention to bring the AES countries back to the West African bloc.In September 2023, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali formed AES, outside of ECOWAS which they formerly belonged. They did this with the goal of improving their collective security measures and fostering socioeconomic growth in the face of sanctions Niger received from ECOWAS.Despite the disagreements that had led to the formation of AES, Niger has decided to lure ECOWAS members to join the group.The Minister extended the invitation at the Meeting of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank, in Nairobi, Kenya. “I can’t be too provocative, but I want to ask ECOWAS to join the AES. There are ECOWAS countries that would probably want to join AES because the culture of sovereignty and dignity of the continent exists within the AES,” Zeine said.This invite follows Ghana and Nigeria’s push for the Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to support the reunification of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso inside the ECOWAS.