Burkina Faso: Draft text of the AES confederal parliament submitted to Captain Ibrahim Traoré
This Friday, the presidents of the parliaments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso presented to the Burkinabe Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the draft founding text of the confederal parliament of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
The document, legal in nature, lays down the foundations of this new regional institution. It was formally handed over to the President of Faso by a delegation led by Dr. Ousmane Bougouma, president of Burkina Faso’s Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT). He explained that Captain Traoré’s mission would be to share the draft with his counterparts in Mali and Niger so they could proceed with its adoption.
“We have delivered the text to our comrade Captain Ibrahim Traoré so that he may transmit it to his peers for adoption, allowing the rapid establishment of the sessions of the confederal parliament,” Dr. Bougouma told the press. According to him, the Burkinabe leader expressed his commitment to champion the initiative with the other AES heads of state and to support an accelerated process. The Confederation Treaty indeed provides for three institutional bodies, including this confederal parliament, which is expected to play a central role in strengthening integration and cooperation among the three nations.
The delivery of the draft follows a working session held on September 18, 2025, in Ouagadougou. During that meeting, the parliamentary leaders of the three member states validated the drafts of the Additional Protocol and the Rules of Procedure for future confederal parliamentary sessions. These texts were prepared from August 11 to 15, 2025, during a technical workshop in line with Articles 16 (paragraph 2) and 18 of the Confederation Treaty.
In a regional context marked by insecurity and terrorist threats, the creation of this parliament seeks to provide the AES with a common legislative framework. It will facilitate stronger cooperation in strategic areas such as security, natural resource management, and economic integration. The ultimate goal is to establish joint and effective governance to tackle the challenges of the Sahel.
