Today marks the one-year anniversary of the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States – also known by its (French) acronym AES. This began as a defence agreement signed by the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Today, the AES represents an anti-imperialist bloc at the vanguard of the pan-African revolution. The three states have expelled French and other Western military forces, nationalised important economic sectors, forged relations with countries that oppose Western domination and are working to build a unified pan-African state.
In this video, Assimi Goïta – president of Mali and the current president of the AES confederation – recalls the history of the alliance and announces upcoming steps for the near future – including shared passports and a new media platform to serve the bloc. He also gives a special shout out to the diaspora for its role in defending the AES.
What do you think of the AES’s activities over the last year?