Sahel Confederation Parliaments Forge Path to Integration with Adopted Roadmap for Confederation Sessions
A significant stride towards institutionalising the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) was taken today as the Presidents of the respective national parliaments convened to adopt a comprehensive roadmap for the operationalisation of confederation sessions. The meeting, held in Ouagadougou, brought together Comrade Dr. Ousmane BOUGOUMA, President of Burkina Faso’s People’s Legislative Assembly (ALP); General Malick DIAW, President of Mali’s National Transitional Council (CNT); and the Honorable Dr. Mamoudou Harouna DJINGAREY, President of Niger’s Consultative Council for Refoundation (CCR).
The primary objective of this high-level parliamentary gathering was to assess the progress made in implementing the Additional Protocol governing confederation sessions and to lay the groundwork for the inaugural session. This initiative is crucial for consolidating the institutional architecture of the AES, a bloc increasingly focused on regional integration and coordinated governance.
In his opening remarks, President BOUGOUMA underscored the robust inter-parliamentary relations and highlighted the pivotal nature of this meeting in the ongoing institutional development of the Confederation. He noted that the foundational legal instruments for these sessions have been ratified, urging his counterparts to expedite their implementation to solidify a key pillar of the AES’s governance framework.
Following deliberations, the three parliamentary leaders finalised an updated roadmap, complete with a detailed implementation schedule for critical preparatory activities. A key agreement was to expedite the finalisation of all administrative, legal, and technical prerequisites for the inaugural session. Furthermore, each national parliament was tasked with completing the necessary procedures for designating its representatives to the confederation body.
To ensure effective oversight and execution of agreed-upon decisions, the Presidents also resolved to enhance the coordination mechanisms between their parliamentary institutions. This strengthened coordination is expected to facilitate regular monitoring of progress and ensure accountability.
The confederation sessions were reiterated as an indispensable element of the AES’s governance structure, with the Presidents emphasising their potential to foster legislative harmonisation, bolster oversight of confederation policies, and promote deeper integration among the peoples of the member states.
In a related development, the parliamentary leaders adopted a motion of support for Burkina Faso, in response to a resolution concerning the country’s human rights situation previously adopted by the European Parliament on June 18, 2026.
The Presidents concluded by expressing their profound gratitude to Comrade Captain Ibrahim TRAORÉ, President of Burkina Faso, Head of State, and current President of the Confederation of Sahel States, for his unwavering commitment to the operationalisation of the AES’s institutional bodies. They also extended their appreciation to the people of Burkina Faso for their warm reception and hospitality. This roadmap signifies a concrete step towards a more integrated and coordinated Sahel region, with significant implications for legal frameworks, regulatory alignment, and investment opportunities for businesses and legal professionals operating within the bloc.
