Senegal’s Faye makes first foreign trip to Mali, signalling ECOWAS-AES thaw

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye travelled to Bamako for his first foreign visit since assuming the rotating chairmanship of ECOWAS, according to The Africa Report. His choice of Mali, ruled by military leader Assimi Goïta, as the destination reflects what the publication described as a gradual thaw between the West African regional bloc and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Faye took over the ECOWAS presidency recently, succeeding Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu in the role. His inaugural diplomatic outing to Bamako, held roughly ten days after assuming the chair, is being read as a signal that the bloc is reaching out to the three military-led governments that have distanced themselves from the organisation.

Background on the rift

The Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, was formed after successive military takeovers in each of the three countries between 2020 and 2023. The juntas subsequently announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS, citing what they described as the bloc’s interference in their internal affairs. ECOWAS had imposed sweeping sanctions on the three countries following the coups, including asset freezes and trade restrictions, and briefly threatened military intervention in Niger before suspending the option.

A new diplomatic posture

Since then, dialogue has progressively resumed. As The Africa Report reported, Faye’s administration in Dakar has been among those advocating for a softer engagement with Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou. The visit to Mali, hosted by Goïta, underscores that the Senegalese president intends to use his ECOWAS chairmanship to pursue rapprochement rather than confrontation.

The trip is the most visible sign yet that both sides are willing to manage their differences through engagement. Observers will be watching whether the Bamako meeting produces concrete steps toward reconciliation or remains largely symbolic, as the AES states continue to build their own regional architecture outside ECOWAS.

Sources

This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.

• The Africa Report — Senegal-Mali: Why Bassirou Diomaye Faye is getting closer to Assimi Goïta