According to Vanguard, this weekend, West Africa will see two significant presidential summits: one in Niger's capital, Niamey, on Saturday, and another in Nigeria on Sunday. The first summit will be the inaugural meeting of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a new regional bloc formed by military leaders from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
The AES was established in September as a mutual defense pact following the trio's departure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January. Their exit was driven by accusations that France was manipulating ECOWAS and not providing sufficient support in the fight against jihadist violence.
Since leaving ECOWAS, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have distanced themselves from their former colonial ruler, expelling French anti-jihadist troops. Instead, they have turned to Russia, Turkey, and Iran, whom they refer to as their "sincere partners."
The agenda for Saturday's AES summit will focus on "the fight against terrorism" and "the consolidation of cooperation," as stated by the Burkinabe presidency.
On Sunday, leaders of ECOWAS will gather in Abuja, Nigeria, to discuss their relationship with the newly formed AES and the implications for regional stability and cooperation.