AES: The Sahel’s bold rejection of Western hypocrisy
On May 19, 2025, Jeune Afrique published an article accusing the leaders of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) Niger’s General Tiani, Burkina Faso’s Captain Traoré, and Mali’s Colonel Goïta of steering their countries toward what they called a “North Korea-style” model of “isolation and pro-Russian alignment.”
This lazy, sensationalist comparison is just the latest in a long line of Western media distortions designed to smear any African attempt at self-determination outside their sphere of influence.
The irony is staggering. These same outlets lecture Africa on democracy while turning a blind eye to the contradictions in their own systems.
Europe’s parliamentary monarchies like the UK, Spain, and Belgium still cling to symbolic royal rule while claiming democratic purity.
France, the self-appointed beacon of liberty, has banned Russian media outlets, shuttered dissenting voices, and weaponized Article 49.3 to ram through unpopular laws without parliamentary approval. Where’s the outrage over that brand of authoritarianism?
Meanwhile, the AES leaders are fighting existential threats: terrorism, economic sabotage, and destabilization campaigns—often backed or ignored by former colonial powers.
They’ve suspended certain democratic processes, yes but so has Ukraine, indefinitely postponing elections amid war with barely a whisper of Western criticism.
The difference? The Sahel’s leaders are reclaiming sovereignty, and that terrifies the old guard.
It’s time Africans and the world stop letting the very powers that looted and divided the continent for centuries dictate what legitimacy looks like.
The Sahel isn’t falling into autocracy; it’s breaking free from dependency. That’s the real revolution. And the panic in Western media isn’t about democracy it’s about losing control.
Cédric Kaboré
