The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) is taking another step toward deeper political integration, with the first session of its confederal parliamentary institutions opening in Niger on Monday, August 24.
The session, being held in Niamey through August 29, brings together parliamentary representatives from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the three members of the AES Confederation.
The meeting is focused on harmonising legislation and policies across the bloc, addressing the concerns of its populations and developing a more active form of parliamentary diplomacy.
The opening marks another stage in the three countries' effort to turn the AES from a primarily security and political alliance into a more structured confederation with common institutions.
The Confederation was formally established in July 2024, after Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger had earlier created the Alliance of Sahel States as a mutual-defence framework.
