West African leaders have appointed former Guinean prime minister Lansana Kouyaté as chief negotiator to reopen dialogue with Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, following their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2025.
The move reflects growing concern within ECOWAS over a deepening regional divide that threatens economic integration, weakens collective security coordination, and risks entrenching rival political blocs across West Africa. The split has already reshaped regional dynamics, as detailed in Sahel walkout clouds ECOWAS at 50.
Kouyaté, a seasoned diplomat and former ECOWAS executive secretary, confirmed to AFP that he had been tasked with leading negotiations with the three Sahel states, now aligned under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
An ECOWAS presidency source in Abuja said his appointment was aimed at ‘bringing the peoples of the west African community closer together’, signalling a renewed push to restore fractured ties.
A Sierra Leonean presidency source described Kouyaté as ‘a great diplomat’, citing his experience within the regional bloc as a key asset in navigating the crisis.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, all governed by military juntas that seized power between 2020 and 2023, formally exited ECOWAS to establish the AES, marking an unprecedented rupture in West African regional cooperation.
The three governments have since strengthened political and security ties among themselves while distancing from ECOWAS member states, particularly coastal nations maintaining relations with France, their former colonial power.
They have also drawn closer to Moscow, reflecting a broader geopolitical shift that has reshaped alliances in the Sahel. The economic consequences of these tensions are already emerging, with trade flows disrupted across the region, as explored in Political tensions shake up trade in West Africa.
Kouyaté’s appointment follows unsuccessful attempts by regional leaders to bridge the divide.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was tasked with mediation in July 2024, while Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama conducted a diplomatic tour of the three countries in March 2025.
Despite these efforts, the juntas have maintained their position, showing little willingness to rejoin ECOWAS or reverse their strategic realignment.
The diplomatic rift comes against the backdrop of worsening insecurity across the Sahel, where Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso continue to battle jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The fragmentation of regional cooperation has raised concerns among analysts that weakened coordination could undermine counterterrorism efforts and limit intelligence sharing at a critical time. ECOWAS has nonetheless continued to pursue regional security initiatives, including plans outlined in ECOWAS plans 2,000 troops for West Africa security.
Kouyaté’s challenge will be to rebuild trust between ECOWAS and the AES bloc while navigating entrenched political positions and competing external alliances.
While his experience offers a potential pathway to renewed engagement, the prospects for a swift resolution remain uncertain. The Sahel states have also begun building alternative regional structures, including financial mechanisms highlighted in Sahel states build bank to cut aid, signalling a longer-term shift away from ECOWAS influence.
