Nigeria, Oct. 19 -- Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali have resumed formal discussions with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), agreeing to work towards establishing a framework for cooperation despite their withdrawal from the regional bloc.

The three Sahel countries officially left ECOWAS in January 2025 after forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), amid growing disagreements with the bloc.

Saturday's meeting, held in Dakar, is believed to be the first official ministerial-level engagement between the two sides, although discussions had been ongoing since January 2025.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday evening, both sides welcomed the discussions, citing fraternity, mutual respect and openness as guiding princ...