Growing International Recognition for the Confederation of Sahel States: Maïga Calls for Fair Funding and Sovereign Development
By Zakaria El Jabri | ALDAR
At the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Seville, Spain on June 30, 2025, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) made a powerful appeal to the international community. General Abdoulaye Maïga, Prime Minister and Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization of Mali, delivered a speech on behalf of the confederation, highlighting the major challenges facing Sahel countries—chief among them terrorism—and calling for a fairer, more equitable approach to global financing mechanisms that better reflect the needs of the region’s populations.
Maïga began by extending greetings from the three founding presidents of the AES: Captain Ibrahim Traoré (Burkina Faso), General Assimi Goïta (Mali), and General Abdourahamane Tiani (Niger), emphasizing their firm commitment to cooperation for development and autonomous progress.
He denounced the terrorism that has plagued the Sahel for over a decade, describing it as an externally imposed threat backed by foreign state sponsors. “We have resolved to make the AES a pan-African regional power focused on improving the living conditions of our people and ending their suffering,” Maïga declared, noting that national budgets are heavily consumed by the cost of counterterrorism, hampering progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He further outlined the devastating impact of terrorism on social infrastructure—schools destroyed, health centers burned, women and children subjected to systematic violence. Confronting terrorism, he said, is an existential priority that cannot be postponed.
In a bid to lay the groundwork for independent development, Maïga announced the creation of a confederal Investment and Development Bank, with an initial capital of 500 billion CFA francs (approximately 1 billion USD). This initiative aims to secure sovereign funding tailored to each member state’s specific needs.
He also called for international partnerships based on mutual respect—particularly in fields such as technology, innovation, agriculture, industrialization, and energy transition—highlighting South-South cooperation as a pragmatic and promising path forward.
Speaking on behalf of the AES, Maïga urged the international community to implement bold reforms of global financial institutions and to show true solidarity by “cutting the link between terrorism and its sponsors.”
In closing, the Malian Prime Minister stressed the need to integrate security into development strategies, stating that international peace and stability must be pursued with full respect for national sovereignty and in line with the aspirations of local populations.
Maïga’s speech in Seville was far more than a routine diplomatic statement—it signaled a political turning point for the AES. His message was clear: the Sahel is no longer willing to be treated as a perpetual crisis zone, but instead demands recognition as a sovereign regional partner with a legitimate vision for just financing, dignified development, and true independence.
