Bamako lays foundations for a shared judicial future in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)

In Bamako, the groundwork has been laid for a shared judicial future among the member states of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). On May 29, the justice ministers of the three member countries Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger gathered for their first high-level consultation in the Malian capital.

This meeting marks a strategic turning point in the pursuit of sovereignty and regional legal integration within a space where justice is becoming a cornerstone of political and institutional renewal.

While the founding charter of the AES Confederation initially delegated authority in defense, diplomacy, and development, this meeting underscores that justice is an essential pillar of any sovereign ambition.

Malian Prime Minister, Major General Abdoulaye Maiga, strongly emphasized this, stressing the need to establish a robust and harmonized judicial system to ensure the effectiveness of the confederal cooperation mechanisms.

Judicial Unity: A response to contemporary challenges
Judicial unity offers a concrete solution to the challenges of our time the fight against terrorism, resistance against the legal imperialism inherited from colonization, and the need to build prosperity based on our own values and systems.

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Adapting judicial systems to the security, social, and political realities of the AES is crucial. This legal undertaking goes beyond mere alignment of laws; it is about forging a sovereign legal framework that upholds dignity and stability.

The architects of this confederal momentum Presidents Ibrahim Traoré, Assimi Goïta, and Abdourahamane Tiani demonstrate through this initiative a steadfast determination to break away from imposed models and instead establish strong, homegrown institutions capable of meeting the deep aspirations of the Sahelian people. Justice, often a neglected pillar in many African regional integrations, is now becoming an instrument of collective emancipation.

Following two days of deliberations, the ministers are set to commit to concrete recommendations to accelerate the harmonization of judicial systems, directly linked to security and development objectives. It is through justice that the AES intends to consolidate its sovereignty and it is through sovereignty that it will secure its prosperity.

Titi KEITA