Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has urged West African leaders to deal with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) with prudence to avoid exacerbating the insurgency in the subregion.
Despite the three West African states’ breakaway from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Obasanjo says they are not geographically outside the boundaries, arguing that they should still be seen as part of the subregion.
According to him, there is an urgency for the bloc leadership to bring together the three states “and make amends to walk and work together regionally, and as soon as possible, within the same organisation.”
Delivering a speech as Keynote Speaker at the Republic Day Lecture organised by the One Ghana Movement and the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College on Thursday, July 3, 2025, on the theme “ECOWAS and its Survival: Impact of the Alliance of Sahelian States and the Way Forward,” he proposed for boldness in addressing the issue.
The former military leader says this is not the time to apportion blames but rather address the emanating issues head-on.
“Our leaders don’t need to act out of fear of themselves and among themselves. What they need to fear is the outside support which some of them cling to and which is expensive and may not be altogether reliable in the end,” he stated.
“Let us correct the errors of the past without blame game. We are intertwined, intermixed, interconnected and intermingled. We cannot decouple.”
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) is a confederation formed by Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. It was established on July 6, 2024, and serves as a mutual defense pact among the three nations. The alliance emerged from a pre-existing mutual defense pact created in response to the 2023 Nigerien crisis, where ECOWAS threatened military intervention following a coup in Niger.
The wave of coups led to the suspension of these nations from ECOWAS, the regional economic community.
The alliance serves as a mutual defense pact, with the member states pledging to support each other against external threats and internal security issues. The AES represents a move away from Western influence, with the member states increasingly seeking support from Russia, particularly for security forces and political backing.
The formation of the AES is also part of a broader trend of “sovereignist revival” in the region, with the military-led regimes aiming to restore public order and build stronger state institutions.
The alliance is also intended to address the ongoing jihadist insurgencies and other security challenges plaguing the region.
The Republic Day Lecture was chaired by Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel.
In his concluding remarks, Chief Obasanjo noted that “whatever it is, we will remain in this region of West Africa together and we must understand that as a reality.”
“We live in a common house and we should mend the house together for our common good. Living in silos makes us weak and exposed and turn us to prey for predators, no matter our population size or our land mass,” he intimated.
Obasanjo was optimistic that ECOWAS can attain the feat with a positive mindset and togetherness. “But together we are strong and can face and overcome difficulties and succeed together, in common security, and shared prosperity.”
Alliance of Sahel States and ECOWAS must work together – Mahama urges
