AES/Economy : After withdrawal from ECOWAS, creation of common currency strongly desired and anticipated
Undoubtedly, the peoples of the Sahel Group aspire to a single currency and the abandonment of the CFA Franc, considered as the currency of imperialism and a real obstacle to the effective development of the user states.
Upon the announcement of AES’s withdrawal from ECOWAS, many citizens from the Sahelian region and pan-Africanists have welcomed the decision and expressed the wish that the next step be the creation of a new currency for this new formed community. The Alliance of Sahel Patriots, a civil society organization, reaffirmed its position on Saturday.
According to the leaders of this movement in support of actions aimed at consolidating and strengthening ties between peoples, « the leaders of AES have the full confidence and support of the members for the creation of the Sahel currency ». The birth of AES and its withdrawal from ECOWAS provide the opportunity to definitively separate from this currency of servitude.
This is also the viewpoint of several analysts who believe that for real independence and regained dignity, there must necessarily be economic and monetary sovereignty. It is also the vision of the heads of state of the Liptako-Gourma region. In their various interventions, they have left no doubt about their common ambition for a Sahelian currency.
As a reminder, ECOWAS has a similar project for a single currency « ECO », which has been in the works for years and is expected to materialize by 2027 according to reports. Will the leaders of AES be able to meet this monetary challenge ? As the early actors of the Sahelian region are well aware, all eyes are on the young organization and its projects, and they cannot afford any mistakes, for the interests of the peoples.
