AES rebukes Tinubu over Sahel insecurity remarks, calls them simplistic
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) criticised President Bola Tinubu for attributing Nigeria's growing security crisis to insecurity in neighbouring states. Burkina Faso's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karamoko Traore, told the Nigerian Chargé d'Affaires in Ouagadougou that Tinubu's remark was "simplistic," "hasty," and trivialised the sacrifices of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso in fighting terrorism. Tinubu made the comment last week while discussing the military rescue of kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oyo State, linking rising kidnapping and insecurity to the Sahel neighbours' situation.
This exchange highlights deteriorating regional relations since the 2023 Niger coup, which led the AES to exit ECOWAS in early 2025 after accusing the bloc of insufficient support and harmful sanctions. Security cooperation has suffered, making intelligence sharing, joint operations and cross-border coordination more difficult along Nigeria's borders with the three Sahelian countries. Nigeria's Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, recently called for joint regional action between the AES and ECOWAS to combat insurgency, signalling a push for renewed cooperation despite tensions.
The AES comprises Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso; they argue that ECOWAS has not adequately supported their anti-terrorism efforts and that imposed sanctions harmed their populations. The fragmentation of regional security arrangements affects intelligence flows and joint patrols, potentially allowing criminal networks to exploit gaps. For Nigerians, this influences the prevalence of cross-border kidnapping, banditry and insurgent activity. Will renewed dialogue between ECOWAS and the AES improve cross-border security, or will continued mistrust deepen regional vulnerabilities?