In a historic move signaling a strategic shift in the Sahel’s approach to governance and security, the Ministers of Justice from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have jointly pledged to transform their fragile justice systems into engines of regional stability and development.

Meeting in Bamako under the banner of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), the ministers launched the groundwork for a shared judicial framework aimed at confronting the region’s spiraling transnational threats ranging from terrorism and organized crime to money laundering and cross-border insecurity.

The gathering, presided over by Malian Prime Minister General Abdoulaye Maiga, marked the first high-level judicial coordination since the AES Confederation was formed. This initiative aligns with the Confederation’s “Development” pillar, reinforcing the idea that no sustainable progress can be achieved without a functioning, fair, and credible justice system.

“The law serves the radiant progress of the people of the AES,” declared Burkinabe Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala. 

He called for the swift transformation of legal harmonization plans into concrete, functional mechanisms. His counterpart from Niger, Alio Daouda, emphasized that a coordinated judicial front is crucial to reversing the tide of lawlessness that plagues border zones and rural areas.

The current judicial landscape presents sobering challenges: Mali ranks 124th out of 142 countries in the 2024 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, with more than half of its citizens perceiving the judiciary as corrupt. In Niger, over 60% of residents have faced unresolved legal issues in the past four years, while in Burkina Faso, legal institutions remain underfunded and overstretched.

Instead of attempting to merge legal systems outright, the ministers opted for interoperability, aiming for systems that communicate, cooperate, and support each other. The focus areas include mutual recognition of legal decisions, coordinated training for judges and magistrates, digital justice tools, and enhanced accountability to combat impunity.

The resolutions adopted in Bamako will be submitted to AES President, Lieutenant General Assimi Goita, and are expected to undergo technical follow-up through the justice ministries of the member states.

Ultimately, the Sahel’s new legal vision seeks to elevate justice from a source of public frustration to a force of societal cohesion and national sovereignty.