Wetin Ecowas and Alliance of Sahel States (AES) cooperation discussion mean for West Africa

Di Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and di West Africa regional bloc Ecowas don agree to establish one joint working groups wey go develop ogbonge cooperation framework agreement wey go guide future relations between Ecowas and di AES.

Di agreement go also protect cross-border trade, security collaboration, plus oda regional ties wey don face press pressure since Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali withdraw from Ecowas.

Dis tok-tok between AES and Ecowas for Dakar, Senegal on Saturday, 17 October mark one renewed effort to ease tensions between di three Sahel countries and di West Africa regional bloc afta dem comot from Ecowas for di middle of one political disagreements.

E go be di first ministerial meeting of ECOWAS-AES Dialogue on Cooperation, and both sides don commit to technical discussions towards framework wey go safeguard dia respective interests.

Di three countries formally comot for Ecowas for January 2025 afta dem form di Alliance of Sahel States (AES), one confederation dem say go strengthen dia regional solidarity and protect dia political sovereignty.

For inside one joint statement dem issue late Saturday, di two sides bin welcome wetin dem describe as spirit of fraternity, mutual respect and openness during di discussions. Dem also stress di importance of preserving good neighbourly relations as dem respect each oda kontri sovereignty.

Wetin dem discuss?

Di reason for di discussion na to provide structured channel for engagement between Ecowas and di three Sahelian countries, wey dia departure from di regional bloc bin raise concerns ova trade routes, di movement of pipo and goods, and cooperation against insecurity across West Africa.

For di joint communiqué dem issue at di end of di meeting, di parties tok say di working groups dem go set up go torchlight areas of common interest, and dem go submit dia findings give di ministers for consideration bifor di next session.

Dem neva announce di date for or venue for di next meeting, however, dis meeting between di two regional blocs, mark di first step towards improving relations and collaboration on issues of mutual interest.

While dem neva announce any date for follow-up technical talks, one joint statement tok say both sides aim to establish a "balanced and realistic framework" wey go safeguard di interests of dia populations.

Wetin dem agree?

Nigeria wey actively participate for di discussion tok say e dey important for di nation and di entire West African region.

For statement by di Ministry of Foreign Affairs drop, di reason behind dis meeting na to start to build structure wey di Ecowas and di AES go fit collabo

Di Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, wey represent Nigeria for di meeting say di pipo of Ecowas and AES get strong connections through geography, history, culture and social relations.

"Di region need to build on these brotherly ties to fit handle di common challenges like free movement of pipo, goods and services, peace and security issues, terrorism, poor infrastructure, as well as poverty and food insecurity," Enikanolaiye tok.

As part of efforts to strengthen regional unity, di minister reveal say dey take proactive step to revive di Joint Commissions wey stop to dey work between Nigeria and di Sahel countries of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

According to am, dis move go help improve direct cooperation for di countries dem, to help boost economic integration and strengthen security partnerships.

One of di important tins wey comot from di meeting na say, di parties agree say dem go set up joint working groups for different areas wey dem identify.

Di groups go handle technical discussions and share ideas to create one complete cooperation agreement wey go guide future relationship between ECOWAS and AES.

Foreign Ministers from di three AES countries bin go di meeting.

Oda pipo wey dey there na di Ecowas Chair of di Council of Ministers, Cheikh Niang (Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad), and di Coordinator of di AES Council of Ministers, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré (Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad).

Nigeria come repeat again say e remain fully committed to work closely wit all di countries for di region to build "a balanced and realistic cooperation framework wey go protect di sovereignty, dignity and welfare of all West African pipo".

Why Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso comot for Ecowas?

Relations between Ecowas and di three Sahel countries bin dey tense since di military seize power for Niger for 2023, Burkina Faso for 2022 and Mali for 2020.

Afta di Niger coup, Ecowas bin compulsory sanctions on di kontri like border closures, no-fly zone for all commercial flights and di freezing of central bank assets.

Ecowas bin also threaten to send dia forces go Niger to restore democratic rule.

But all dis hard line only ginger di resolve of di three juntas.

Mali and Burkina Faso bin condemn Ecowas' "inhuman" sanctions and vow to defend Niger if di bloc use military might.

Later Ecowas suspend dem, di three states bin hit back as dem drop notice for January 2025 say dem wan comot for di regional bloc.

Negotiations between Ecowas and di juntas don happun since then - but dem fail.

Di three countries accuse Ecowas say dem dey too close to Western powers and don instead move towards Russia.