The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, has officially established its joint security force.

On Saturday, Mali's transitional President General Assimi Goita handed over the joint forces' flag, weaponry, and other equipment including combat vehicles and ambulances in Mali's capital, Bamako.

Describing the joint security unit as a "strategic multinational force", President Goita said it will be known as the United Force of the Alliance of Sahel States (FU-AES), and it draws its troops from the three AES member states.

Defence ministers from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, as well as senior military commanders, attended the official establishment of the FU-AES.

Precision strikes

While it now formally begins its joint security operations, President Goita said soldiers from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger had already conducted precision strikes on enemy sites in the three countries, killing "several terrorist leaders and destroying criminal sanctuaries."

Goita, the current AES chairperson, further said that FU-AES will leverage "meticulous planning, strategic anticipation, and efficient information-sharing" to defeat terrorism in the Sahel region.

According to the Malian head of state, the AES's mission and shared purpose are "irreversible."

Mali's Defence Minister General Sadio Camara said FU-AES will be guided by the "Sahelian values of solidarity, mutual help, and dignity."

Burkina Faso general to lead AES's joint force

Burkina Faso's Brigadier-General Daouda Traore "will have the heavy responsibility of leading this multinational force in a demanding security context, in the service of the stability and sovereignty of the AES space," Mali's presidency said on Saturday.

The Sahel region has faced a persistent terrorist threat over the years, with thousands of people losing their lives to terrorism in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger yearly, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies

The three nations, which are former members of ECOWAS, officially exited the West African regional bloc in January 2025, stating that the body was no longer serving their respective interests.

The AES bloc was first mooted in September 2023, and formally established in July 2024. It seeks to cooperate on trade, security, and other areas of shared interest.