The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), made up of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, officially unveiled its joint Security force on December 20, 2025, marking a significant step in deepening regional military cooperation.
At a ceremony in Bamako on Saturday, Mali’s President General Assimi Goïta handed over the force’s flag, weapons and equipment, including combat vehicles and ambulances. The new unit, named the United Force of the Alliance of Sahel States (FU-AES), draws troops from all three member countries and is described as a strategic multinational force.
Defence ministers and senior military commanders from the three states attended the launch. President Goïta said the force had already carried out precision strikes across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, claiming the deaths of several terrorist leaders and the destruction of criminal sanctuaries.
He added that FU-AES would rely on coordinated planning, intelligence-sharing and strategic foresight to confront terrorism, insisting the alliance’s shared mission was irreversible. Mali’s Defence Minister, General Sadio Camara, said the force would be guided by Sahelian values of solidarity, mutual support and dignity.
Burkina Faso’s Brigadier-General Daouda Traoré has been appointed to lead the joint force in what Mali’s presidency described as a demanding security environment. The Sahel region continues to face persistent militant violence, with thousands killed each year. The three countries formally withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025, arguing the bloc no longer served their interests. The AES was first proposed in September 2023 and formally established in July 2024, with cooperation spanning security, trade and other shared priorities.
