AES: Ministers of Industry and Trade pave the way for a Sahelian common market

The 5th meeting of the Ministers of Industry and Trade of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) was held in Bamako, bringing together Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger around the goal of a smoother and more secure Sahelian common market for the private sector. According to Radio Télévision du Niger (RTN), the delegations examined the creation of an economic observatory for the AES area, tasked with collecting and processing data on the business environment to provide useful conclusions for investors and economic operators. The ministers also studied the feasibility of an AES guarantee designed to ensure the fluidity of trade within the confederal space. The 2nd edition of the AES trade fair was scheduled for December 2026 in Bamako, with each country expected to mobilize around 50 participants; B2B meetings will be provided free of charge to participants mobilized by the chambers of commerce. The concerns of road haulers, not detailed during the meeting, will be forwarded to the authorities to improve the supply of the three countries. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all landlocked, depend on cross-border logistics corridors for their supplies, which explains the attention given to haulers.