In the heart of the scorched Sahel, a “hard” geopolitical revolution is taking root as Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso forge a defiant new reality. This trio, recently described as a “Marriage of Reason,” is no longer just shaking off Parisian influence—they are actively constructing a sovereign “Sahelian Republic” through the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Last month, leaders from the three countries converged in Bamako for the Confederal Summit of Heads of State of the AES, the second such meeting since the alliance was formed. And we were there to cover it.
The summit was a ribbon-cutting moment. Leaders of the three countries inaugurated a new Sahel Investment and Development Bank meant to finance infrastructure projects without reliance on Western lenders; a new television channel built around a shared narrative and presented as giving voice to the people of the Sahel; and a joint military force intended to operate across borders against armed groups.
It was a moment to celebrate achievements more than to sign new agreements
Moving at breakneck speed and bypassing the aging bureaucracy of ECOWAS, the alliance has activated a high-stakes roadmap for total independence.
This includes the launch of a sovereign Investment Bank designed to shatter IMF dependency, a unified media apparatus to amplify the African voice, and a joint 5,000-strong military force striking deep into the desert without seeking Western “permission.
” This is a historic watershed moment: the birth of a new African Axis where aid is traded for absolute sovereignty, and the continent shifts from a passive subject of global policy to a powerhouse writing its own future with iron, gold, and fire.
