AES: First meeting of police chiefs in Bamako to combat cross-border crime
Since Tuesday, January 30, the capital of Mali, Bamako, has hosted the first meeting of the police chiefs of the member countries of the Sahel States Confederation (AES). This event, chaired by Mali’s Minister of Security and Civil Protection, General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, brought together senior police officials from Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
Among the participants were Niger’s General Police Commissioner, Assahaba Ebankawel, Burkina Faso’s Inspector General, Darga W Alexandre, and Mali’s Brigade General Commissioner, Soulaïmane Traoré. The main objective of this meeting is to strengthen cooperation between the police forces of the three countries to better combat cross-border crime, a scourge threatening regional stability.
In the face of complex security challenges, particularly the rise of terrorism, drug trafficking, and cybercrime, the AES states aim to pool their efforts. General Mohammedine emphasized the importance of equipping the police forces with modern technological tools and strengthening their intelligence capabilities. He also stressed that cooperation, information sharing, and resource pooling are key elements for an effective fight against these threats.
Niger’s General Police Commissioner, Assahaba Ebankawel, described this meeting as a “foundational moment” for regional cooperation and stressed the urgency of enhancing border security and intelligence exchanges. For his part, Burkina Faso’s Inspector General, Darga W Alexandre, praised the political will of the three countries to secure their shared space.
At the conclusion of the discussions, several commitments were made. The participants agreed to intensify joint training, create networks for information exchange, and strengthen the police forces’ capabilities to better face security threats. This meeting marks a significant step toward better coordination among the AES states, in a regional context marked by political crises and ongoing insecurity.
