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The Sahel's Thaw: Juntas Talk to ECOWAS Again
Published 1 week ago
Description
On October 17, 2026, AES and ECOWAS ministers met in Dakar, the first ministerial talks since the juntas quit the bloc — announced in January 2024 and effective January 29, 2025 — and joint working groups are working toward a framework agreement. The episode also covers the juntas' pivot toward Russia, Burkina Faso's break with France in June 2026 and Niger's nationalization of the Somair uranium mine.