# Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali resume talks with ECOWAS 18 months after withdrawal

- Link: https://viralbrief.top/burkina-faso-niger-and-mali-resume-talks-with-ecowas-18-months-after-withdrawal/
- Published: 2026-10-20T05:06:08+00:00
- Author: Olamide

Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali have held their first official ministerial-level talks
with the Economic Community of West African States since leaving the regional bloc
in January 2025.

At last weekend’s meeting, representatives of ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States
agreed to establish joint working groups to develop a framework agreement for cooperation.

The engagement follows discussions that have continued since the three countries
withdrew from ECOWAS amid tensions over military coups and the bloc’s response. 
In a joint statement, both sides welcomed the “spirit of fraternity, mutual respect
and openness” that characterised the talks. They also stressed the importance of
good neighbourly relations and respect for national sovereignty.

Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, led the AES delegation,
while Senegal’s Foreign Minister, Cheikh Niang, headed the ECOWAS delegation. The
military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed the AES before their
withdrawal from ECOWAS.

Since taking power, they have reduced ties with France, their former colonial ruler,
while strengthening relations with Russia. They have also criticised coastal West
African countries, including Benin and Côte d’Ivoire, over what they consider close
relationships with Paris.

In June 2025, Nigeria’s then Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, expressed optimism
that the three countries would eventually return to ECOWAS. Saturday’s agreement
concerns a framework for cooperation between the two sides and does not announce
their return to the bloc.

 [Source link ](https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2026/10/burkina-faso-niger-and-mali-resume-talks-with-ecowas-18-months-after-withdrawal.html)

  TL;DR (AI Generated)

Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali have held their first official ministerial-level talks
with ECOWAS eighteen months after withdrawing from the regional bloc.

During the meeting, representatives from both sides agreed to establish joint working
groups to develop a new framework agreement for cooperation based on mutual respect.

Although this development does not signal the return of the three military-led nations
to the bloc, it marks a significant step toward restoring good neighbourly relations.

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