Parliamentarians from the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) convened in Niamey on Friday, August 28, 2026, for an ordinary session dedicated to reviewing the work of three key parliamentary committees.
The plenary, chaired by Dr.
Ousmane Bougouma, who also serves as president of the People’s Legislative Assembly of Burkina Faso, resulted in the formal adoption of a series of recommendations spanning internal security, cross-border movement, and the financial sustainability of confederal media outlets.
The session featured successive presentations from the Confederate Defense and Security Committee, the Confederate Diplomacy Committee, and the Confederate Development Committee.
Following a single general debate in which lawmakers raised questions and offered observations, the assembled deputies validated the reports and their accompanying recommendations.
Security Cooperation and Intelligence Sharing at the Forefront
The Defense and Security Committee’s report centered on enhancing police cooperation and intelligence sharing among AES member states.
The adopted recommendations call for the formal adoption and ratification of an additional protocol on internal security, alongside the creation of a dedicated legal framework to govern police collaboration.
A key operational proposal involves establishing a confederal mechanism for sharing criminal intelligence. The committee also recommended extending the IRAPOL system to Mali and Niger, with a gradual transition away from the WAPIS system in those two countries.
Additionally, the report advocates for a new awareness and guidance initiative designed to encourage greater community participation in countering insecurity.
Diplomacy Committee Pushes for Unified Borders and Legal Clarity
In the realm of diplomacy, the committee’s recommendations focus on streamlining the movement of people and goods across the confederal territory.
Lawmakers urged the three member states to draft an additional protocol to the existing treaty on free movement, establish unified border posts, and make the AES biometric passport and identity card accessible to all citizens of the Confederation.
The committee also stressed the importance of intensifying anti-corruption efforts.
A significant legal recommendation calls for replacing the current interim regime governing free movement with a legally binding convention between the AES and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
This proposed convention would aim to preserve the acquired rights of nationals from the three AES states while simultaneously pursuing corridor agreements with coastal and transit nations.
Development Committee Targets Sustainable Media Funding
The Confederate Development Committee turned its attention to the economic model of AES media outlets. Its report examined issues of funding, viability, and overall effectiveness.
The committee’s recommendations urge the AES to elevate confederal media budgets to the level of government priorities.
Further proposals include equipping confederal media with secure tools for gathering, processing, and disseminating information.
To ensure long-term stability, the committee called for guaranteeing sustainable resources that are independent of sectoral budget fluctuations, as well as establishing an emergency fund specifically for confederal media operations.
The adoption of these reports marks a step in the ongoing institutional development of the Confederation of Sahel States, as its parliament works to define the operational and legal contours of its shared governance structures.
Source: Séance plénière : Les députés confédéraux examinent et valident les rapports des commissions