The foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger recommended on Friday (Dec. 01) creating a confederation as part of a long-term goal of uniting the West African neighbours within a federation.

The top diplomats of the Alliance of Sahel States met in Bamako for two days.

Their discussions aimed to flesh out the workings of the new alliance, with the ministers emphasising the importance of diplomacy, defence and development “to consolidate political and economic integration”.

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said the recommendations will be submitted to each head of state, who are due to meet in Bamako at an unspecified date.

The countries’ economy and finance ministers who met on late November advised creating a stabilisation fund, an investment bank and a committee that would study an economic and monetary union.

In mid-September, the military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger signed a mutual defence pact.

The Liptako-Gourma Charter, named after the eponymous historical region, established the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).