On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio met with Mamadou Tangara, the African Union’s Special Representative for Mali and the Sahel, at State House in Freetown as part of regional consultations to develop a roadmap for improved cooperation between the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Timothy Musa Kabba, welcomed the delegation and stated that Dr Tangara’s visit was intended to provide President Bio, who also serves as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, with an update on consultations taking place throughout the region. The meeting was part of the Special Representative’s larger effort to develop frameworks that would enable new communication and cooperation between the two regional organisations.
Dr Tangara greeted African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, thanked President Bio for his leadership, and reaffirmed the AU’s commitment to promoting stability and collaboration in the Sahel and West Africa. He updated the President on his recent meetings with the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, three AES members, outlining the creation of a cooperative framework. Dr Tangara has seen signs of openness since the AES was established in September 2023, such as the participation of some non-AES states in alliance activities, which he describes as a positive development for regional discourse.
President Bio replied by praising the AU initiative and congratulating the Special Representative on his appointment. He emphasised that ECOWAS leaders are looking forward to positive interactions with the AES nations, and he reaffirmed his commitment to advancing regional integration as ECOWAS Chairman. The President emphasised that Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger’s withdrawal from ECOWAS in January 2024 was not in the region’s long-term interests and promised to work for their reintegration into the bloc.
President Bio endorsed a collaborative approach to resolving the region’s political and security challenges, and Dr Tangara received his full support for AU-facilitated efforts to advance dialogue, restore unity, and promote stability throughout West Africa.
