
Alliance Progressing Towards Unified Command Structure
The Alliance of Sahel States is set to take a major step towards military unification, with plans to create a single command center and appoint one Chief of Staff for the entire confederation. This was reported by Burkina Faso’s transitional leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré (@CapitaineIb226), according to a post by X user and Burkina Faso compatriot @marcus_herve. Traoré confirmed that while the process will take a few months to finalize, it is well underway.
Captain Traoré highlighted that 30,000 soldiers have been recruited as part of this effort, with additional recruitment in the police force and gendarmerie. While specific details were not disclosed, this marks a dramatic shift from Burkina Faso’s army, which once numbered only 11,000 troops. Under colonial constraints, France had previously curtailed military expansion and restricted access to weaponry, weakening the nation’s defenses.
This trend is echoed across the AES alliance. Mali’s President Assimi Goïta has increased his military forces from 41,000 in 2020 to 65,000 by 2023. Niger is similarly scaling its military from 33,000 in 2022 to a projected 100,000 by 2030.

These recruitment drives are crucial for securing the vast 2.8 million square kilometers that the AES represents. Traoré stressed that building a unified and strong African army is essential to safeguarding the continent from foreign threats, fulfilling a long-cherished dream of pan-African unity.
“Imagine if Africa had one army and one Chief of Staff,” Marcus Herve @marcus_herve mused. “We must develop our own weapons to protect our land from external enemies,” he added.
The Alliance’s military unification echoes the vision of pan-African icons like Kwame Nkrumah, whose calls for a continental military force in 1963 went unrealized. Decades later, foreign forces remain entrenched across Africa, often exacerbating internal instability. However, the growing cooperation between Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger has sparked renewed optimism for an African-led security framework.
Marcus Herve also pointed out that the ECOWAS standby force, which many had touted as a countermeasure, remains inactive—suggesting the shifting balance of power in the region, led by the AES.
“Down with imperialism! Down with local valets! Long live the AES! A luta continua!” Marcus declared, capturing the energy of this emerging movement.
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