ECOWAS and Sahel States Resume Talks as Regional Security Risks Grow

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have resumed formal talks with ECOWAS, nine months after leaving the regional bloc. Both sides met in Dakar and agreed to create joint working groups to develop a framework for future cooperation. The three countries, now part of the Alliance of Sahel States, have had strained relations with ECOWAS over political transitions, security policy and sovereignty. It remains unclear whether the discussions could eventually lead to their return to ECOWAS. The renewed engagement matters to Nigeria and other West African states as insurgent groups operate across borders. Improved cooperation could support intelligence-sharing, border controls and joint efforts against Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups threatening the wider region. ECOWAS must now balance its commitment to democratic governance with the urgent need to work with the junta-led Sahel states on shared security challenges.

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