BAMAKO—The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) will soon implement a comprehensive communication strategy and launch a certified digital platform for web TV broadcasting, following a workshop that began on Thursday, August 22, 2024, in Bamako, Mali. The workshop, presided over by the Malian Minister of Communication, Digital Economy, and Modernization of the Administration, aims to address the communication needs of the populations in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the event gathers communication and digital experts who will focus on key aspects of AES communication, with the goal of enhancing the information flow and strategic messaging of the Alliance. Participants are discussing the development of the communication strategy, as well as the timeline for coordinated actions that will promote the interests and development goals of the three member states.

The AES, established by the signing of the Liptako-Gourma Charter on September 16, 2023, is a confederation of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, created to respond to shared security and socio-economic challenges. The Alliance seeks to strengthen cooperation among the three countries, particularly in areas of defense, mutual assistance, and socio-economic integration.

In light of the increasingly complex information landscape, the AES aims to use its communication strategy to counter misinformation, reassure and mobilize its populations, and ensure that its objectives are clearly communicated to the international community. The digital platform for web TV broadcasting will play a crucial role in achieving these goals, providing a direct channel for disseminating information and promoting the Alliance’s agenda.

The AES was born out of the political will of the member states’ leaders to create an African space of sovereignty, addressing security, political, geostrategic, and economic issues. The organization emerged in a context of high political and security tension and seeks to pool the capacities of its member states, generating hope among local populations and Pan-Africanists.