The Junta-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced Thursday plans to proceed with the establishment of a confederation following a meeting among the Ministers of the Alliance of Sahel States (AOSS), a defense pact formed by the three juntas.

The statement, released by the Malian Foreign Ministry, praises the pooling of resources and collective diplomatic efforts achieved by AOSS. In September 2023, the three states signed the Charter of Liptako-Gourma establishing AOSS, which aims to establish collective defense. The statement went on to note the need to further strengthen communication and visibility of AOSS. The delegations of the three states paid “vibrant tribute” to their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They criticized ECOWAS for “moving away from its initial objectives,” and lauded the withdrawal as an opportunity to build on their own resources and capacities.

This meeting comes amidst continued tensions between the juntas and ECOWAS. In an attempt to reverse the coups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, ECOWAS imposed sanctions in July 2023 on the newly formed military governments. In January 2024, the three states announced an immediate withdrawal from ECOWAS. ECOWAS denied the withdrawal, stating that a formal notice under Article 91 of the Revised Treaty of ECOWAS had not been given.