ECOWAS: Weakened Bloc

July 7th, where the issue of relations with the AES was on the agenda.Relations between ECOWAS deteriorated following a July 2023 coup that brought Tchiani to power, when the bloc imposed sanctions and even threatened to intervene militarily to restore the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum.The sanctions were lifted in February but relations between the two sides remain frosty.After several bilateral meetings, this is the first meeting of all three Sahelian strongmen since coming to power through coups between 2020 and 2023.Beyond military cooperation, the leaders on July 6th also talked about "mutualising" their approach to strategic sectors such as agriculture, water, energy and transport.