Thousands of Malians took to the streets in Mali’s capital Bamako on July 7, in support of the formation of the Confederation of Sahel States. This followed the summit meeting in Niamey, Niger, on July 6, where the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger signed a charter establishing the Confederation, also referred to as the Alliance of Sahel States Confederation, or, simply, the AES Confederation. The Malian demonstrators held placards welcoming the new union and thanking its leader, Malian President Assimi Goita, who has assumed the presidency of the alliance for one year.
On the occasion of assuming the presidency of the Confederation, Goita wrote on his X account: “On this historic day for our populations, I am delighted with the signing, with my brothers from Burkina and Niger, of the texts relating to the operationalization and creation of the AES Confederation. I am honored that Mali has been designated to assume the presidency.”