Top police officials from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger convened in Ouagadougou on Thursday to deepen security collaboration within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), focusing on a unified strategy to tackle pressing regional threats.
This gathering, which included security experts from all three nations, centered on aligning policing methods, enhancing information-sharing systems, and boosting operational capacities. Participants also explored ways to strengthen cross-border judicial investigations, public order enforcement, and the adoption of advanced technological and forensic tools.
At the start of the session, Burkina Faso’s National Police Director, Inspector General Thierry Dofizouho Tuina, emphasized the need for police forces to become key pillars in building a resilient AES. He noted this meeting followed up on commitments made during the initial police chiefs’ summit in Bamako in January 2025 and the security ministers’ meeting held on July 1st.
The discussions also covered streamlining cross-border movement of people and goods across the confederation. Police leaders aim to standardize border controls, expand intelligence sharing, and crack down on illegal roadblocks and corrupt practices that hinder trade and travel.
Mali’s National Police Director, General Youssouf Koné, stressed that pooling resources is vital to meet public security expectations and sustain the AES’s growth. Meanwhile, Niger’s Police Commissioner General Assahaba Ebankawal highlighted how stronger collaboration would help counter surging terrorist attacks, organized cross-border crime, and other shared security risks.
The talks concluded with plans to finalize actionable recommendations to cement police cooperation within the AES framework.
