AES: Ongoing preparatory meeting of experts in Ouagadougou

Actors from the member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) are actively engaged in initiatives aimed at optimizing the functionality of this Sahelian organization. Their goal is to align its operations with the expectations and aspirations of the people in this region and to achieve the fundamental objectives set forth at its inception.

The ongoing gathering of experts from the three founding member countries, inaugurated on Monday, February 12, in Ouagadougou, is a pivotal component of this proactive approach.

These experts are entrusted with the responsibility of charting the course for the ministerial meeting of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) member countries, scheduled to convene on Thursday, February 15 in Burkina Faso.

In a concrete sense, high-ranking officials from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger will dedicate three days to scrutinizing strategic and consequential documents.

These documents are instrumental in formalizing the broadening of the AES’s objectives to encompass diplomatic coordination and economic development.

The experts’ mandate extends to the formulation of several draft texts with the aim of instituting and operationalizing the Confederation of Sahel States.

Emphasizing the significance of their task, the head of the Burkinabe delegation, Ambassador Issa Boro, has urged the experts to collaborate in a spirit of fraternity and conviviality, maintaining a stance devoid of complacency and with a keen awareness of the higher interests of their respective populations.

It is noteworthy that the AES’s primary objective is to create conducive conditions that empower member states to ensure their security and mutually defend against Sahel-based terrorism, thereby fostering stabilization in the region.

Cedric KABORE