Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have officially launched a joint military force aimed at tackling Islamist insurgencies and cross-border insecurity, deepening their security cooperation outside the framework of West Africa’s ECOWAS bloc.
The new formation, called the United Force of the Alliance of Sahel States (FU-AES), was unveiled on Dec 20 at an airbase in Bamako by Malian leader Assimi Goïta.
Officials said the force will comprise about 5,000 troops drawn from the three armies, supported by air assets and intelligence units, and will operate under a unified command headquartered in Niamey, Niger.
Burkinabe General Daouda Traoré has been appointed as commander.
The alliance said the force will conduct joint operations against armed groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, which have destabilized the tri-border region for years.
The move follows the three countries’ withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January, after the regional bloc imposed sanctions and demanded a return to civilian rule following military takeovers in Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey.
The juntas accused ECOWAS of “foreign interference” and vowed to build an alternative security and economic framework under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), created in 2023 and formalized in 2024.
The Sahel remains one of the world’s most violent theaters, with thousands killed and millions displaced despite years of international military engagement.
