Three countries walked away from ECOWAS, and now both sides are coming back to the table. The Economic Community of West African States and the Confederation of Sahel States, known as AES, have agreed to establish joint dialogue channels covering trade and security, signaling a potential thaw after a tense period of separation.
The AES bloc, made up of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, formally withdrew from ECOWAS following military takeovers in each country. The split raised serious concerns about regional integration, the movement of goods, and cross-border security cooperation across West Africa and the Sahel.
The agreement to talk is not a reunion, but it is a start. For millions of ordinary people living along shared borders, the practical stakes of this conversation, including access to markets and protection from armed groups, could not be more immediate.
Originally published by BusinessDay.