AU Special Sahel Envoy Engages in High-Level Talks with Mali’s Goita

The newly appointed Special Envoy of the African Union (AU) for the Sahel region, President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, held a telephone conversation on July 21 with the President of Mali’s transitional government, Colonel Assimi Goita, as part of a diplomatic effort to restore dialogue between the AU and the Sahel states.

The conversation marked a significant first step in Ndayishimiye’s mandate, following his official appointment on July 17 by AU Chairperson João Lourenço during a summit in Luanda, Angola. According to both parties, the exchange was held in a constructive and trusting atmosphere.

The conversation was fruitful and friendly, Ndayishimiye noted.

The two leaders discussed the evolving political and security situation in the Sahel, the prospects for renewed engagement between the African Union and members of the Confederation of Sahel States and pathways to inclusive dialogue across the region.

This conversation comes amid shifting regional dynamics following the formal withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The trio has since established the Confederation of Sahel States (CSS), advocating for sovereignty, regional autonomy, and resistance to what they describe as “foreign interference”, particularly from France and other external actors.

This move by the African Union signals a renewed continental strategy to stabilise the Sahel and bridge divides that threaten to fragment regional cooperation.

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