The push to destabilize the alliance is fueled by foreign powers' interest in the region's vast natural wealth, Burkina Faso's president has said

Burkina Faso's interim president, Captain Ibrahim Traore has accused foreign powers of attempting to sabotage the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) by pressuring member countries to betray the others.

Speaking during a national flag-raising ceremony on Monday, the leader claimed the AES remains a "source of concern" for imperialist actors, the Burkina Faso Information Agency reported.

"We are approached every day by imperialists who want to force one of the three states to betray the others," Traore said.

"We've been dealing with this for a long time. Each time, it's a maneuver to convince a state to leave the Confederation. And this should make us think," he added.

The AES was formally established in September 2023 by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger as a mutual defense and cooperation pact following the expulsion of French troops from the respective members. The three military-led states have since withdrawn from the West African bloc ECOWAS, denouncing it as a tool for French neocolonial influence and a threat to their sovereignty.

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The AES has positioned itself as a counterweight to Western influence in the Sahel region, particularly France's post-colonial footprint. The group has also suspended military ties with former European partners, pivoting instead toward increased cooperation with Russia and other non-Western allies.

In recent weeks, officials in Ouagadougou and Niamey have also accused France and Ukraine of sponsoring terrorism to weaken the Sahel military governments.

Late last month, Niger's transitional leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, accused French operatives of collaborating with rebel factions along border regions in neighboring Benin and Nigeria as part of a coordinated plot to destabilize his country and the wider Sahel. Ukraine has also been implicated for allegedly doing the "dirty work" of Western powers by training and supplying weapons to insurgents behind more than a decade of jihadist violence in Mali.

On Monday, Burkinabe President Traore warned that the West's efforts to destabilize the region are driven by a hunger for the Sahel's vast and untapped natural wealth.

"We must be fully aware of this and continue to fight. We must not feel sorry for ourselves," he said.

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