Sahel: The rivalry between the Sahel States Alliance and ECOWAS in the face of jihadist escalation
Marie DuboisThe security architecture of West Africa is undergoing a profound reconfiguration phase, marked by the emergence of two competing visions to combat the jihadist insurgency that has plagued the Sahel for over a decade. On one side, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, officially announced in December 2025 the deployment of a Unified Force of 5,000 to 6,000 fighters. On the other side, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is announcing an even more ambitious project: a regional counter-terrorism force of 260,000 soldiers, supported by an annual budget of $2.5 billion.
This institutional duality is not trivial. It reflects the political fracture that has crystallized between the military juntas in power in Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey, and the rest of the ECOWAS space.
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) deployed a unified force of 5,000 to 6,000 fighters in December 2025 to combat jihadist insurgency in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced plans for a larger regional anti-terrorist force comprising 260,000 soldiers, supported by a $2.5 billion annual budget. This situation highlights the political divide between the military juntas in the Sahel and the broader ECOWAS community.
- The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has deployed a unified force of 5,000 to 6,000 fighters.
- The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) plans a regional anti-terrorist force of 260,000 soldiers.
- The budget for the ECOWAS force is set at $2.5 billion annually.
- There is a political fracture between military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger and the rest of ECOWAS.