Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – Standing before a crowd in Ouagadougou, with flags raised and a new anthem echoing through the air, Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré delivered a speech that was both ceremonial and sharply political.
As representatives from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso gathered for the first public performance of Sahel Benkan the official anthem of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) Traoré seized the moment to accuse unnamed Western nations of trying to derail the union.
“It’s difficult to unite, but it’s the solution,” he said. “Little by little, the AES continues on its way, despite all the difficulties and challenges we face.”
Then, in words aimed well beyond the audience, Traoré asked, “Why don’t the imperialists want this union? Why does the confederation scare or hurt some people?”
He did not name specific countries, but the message was clear. “We are approached every day by these imperialists to get one of the three to betray the other,” he alleged.
The comments come amid growing tension between the Sahel governments and former colonial powers, particularly France, which has scaled back its military footprint in the region. All three countries have experienced military coups in recent years and have moved to cut ties with France and turn toward other partners, including Russia.
The AES bloc was formed in September 2023 following those transitions. The aim, leaders say, is simple: to strengthen military cooperation, coordinate diplomacy, and assert sovereignty on their own terms.
At the ceremony, officials from the three nations stood in solemn formation as Sahel Benkan played. The anthem, whose title loosely translates to “United Sahel”, symbolises what the alliance hopes to become a single front against insecurity and foreign influence.
But critics have warned that the alliance, formed by governments that seized power by force, lacks democratic legitimacy. Some also question whether the bloc’s vision is realistic, given the region’s severe economic challenges and persistent insurgencies.
“There’s real political theatre here,” said Mahamadou Ba, a political analyst based in Dakar. “But underneath it are legitimate questions about who controls the region’s future and how much outside powers still shape the agenda.”
Western officials have been cautious in their public responses. France’s foreign ministry declined to comment directly on Traoré’s remarks but has previously warned of “the growing presence of authoritarian influence” in the Sahel.
Still, the AES governments remain defiant. Traoré’s tone was unapologetic. “If I were naive, I’d ask myself why the imperialists don’t want this union,” he said. “But I’m not naive. I know why.”
As the anthem fades, the message from the region’s newest alliance grows louder: the Sahel intends to chart its own course on its own terms.
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