The President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim TRAORÉ, continues to give substance to the vision of a sovereign and united economic integration among the members of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES). On Thursday, he received an important delegation made up of the Ministers of Trade and Industry from the member countries. This strategic meeting marks a decisive step toward the creation of a common purchasing center for strategic products.
In response to the economic and logistical challenges facing Sahelian countries, this initiative aims to pool efforts, optimize resources, and strengthen the commercial resilience of the member states. The goal is not only to reduce dependence on external supply chains, but also to promote internal supply systems that are more secure and aligned with national priorities. The purchasing center could become a true lever for sovereignty and economic self-reliance for the AES.
The President of Burkina Faso emphasized the urgency of putting into action the commitments made by the Heads of State during previous confederal meetings. For Captain TRAORÉ, industrialization, intra-confederation trade, and local production of strategic goods must no longer remain mere ambitions but must become concrete realities serving the people. He urged the ministers to act swiftly, methodically, and effectively.
This project is fully in line with the breakaway logic adopted by the AES, which has expressed its desire to break free from the constraints inherited from foreign domination. An AES purchasing center would allow for better price negotiation, quality control of imported goods, and most importantly, support for local production by making it more competitive against uncontrolled imports. It also serves as an instrument of economic resistance to external pressures.
This meeting reaffirms that, under the leadership of President Ibrahim TRAORÉ, Burkina Faso is playing a key role in building a strong, independent, and collectively progressive confederal economy.
