The presidents of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — Ibrahim Traoré, Assimi Goïta, and Abdourahamane Tiani — on December 23 officially inaugurated the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) Investment and Development Bank in Mali’s capital, Bamako.
The bank has an authorized capital of 500 billion CFA francs (around $900 million) and is intended to serve as the Alliance’s financial arm to deepen economic integration among the three countries. Its mandate includes financing projects that strengthen economic sovereignty and critical infrastructure.
The launch took place on the sidelines of the second summit of the Alliance of Sahel States, which opened on December 22. The bank’s founding statutes were signed earlier, on December 12, during a preparatory meeting.
The move forms part of the Alliance’s broader strategy, established in 2023 as a collective defense framework, to intensify political and economic cooperation among its members. It follows the decision by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in early 2024, an organization the three governments have criticized for failing to provide sufficient support in their fight against terrorism.
A final communiqué is expected at the close of the summit to announce the appointment of the Alliance’s president for 2025, a position currently held by Mali’s Assimi Goïta.
