On September 25, 2026, a significant step was taken towards enhancing digital integration in the Sahel region as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger signed a cooperation protocol to establish the Sahel Regulators Council (CRS). The council aims to foster concerted actions against common challenges in electronic communications and postal services. This development is a crucial milestone in the Alliance of Sahel States' (AES) efforts to bolster regional integration and cooperation.
The Sahel Regulators Council is the brainchild of the regulators from the three AES countries, who have been engaging in discussions since November 2025. The council's creation is seen as a strategic move to address the challenges of electronic communications and postal services in the region. Saidou Pona Sankaré, president of the Malian Telecommunications and Posts Regulatory Authority (AMRTP), emphasized that the agreement marks a significant moment in constructing the AES's digital architecture.
According to Saidou Pona Sankaré, the regulators are not merely creating a cooperation mechanism but laying the foundation for the AES's digital infrastructure. He stressed that regulation has evolved into an instrument of sovereignty, regional integration, and economic development. Sankaré highlighted the critical role of digital infrastructure in development, likening networks to roads that transport data, facilitate education, and enhance security.
To achieve the ambitious goals of the Sahel Regulators Council, Pasteur Poda, president of the Burkinabé regulatory council, outlined initial projects. These include ensuring community roaming, coordinating frequencies at borders, homologating equipment, regulating satellite networks, and sharing control tools. The council will also focus on postal services, including trans-border services, tracking, and universal postal service.
The CRS will operate through trilateral consultations, specialized working groups, expert exchanges, and cross-training, underpinned by a rotating governance structure. Moussa Zeinabou Seyni, secretary-executive of the Nigerien regulatory authority, reaffirmed the regulators' commitment to achieving tangible results. He emphasized the importance of providing necessary resources, clear orientations, and rigorous monitoring of the council's activities.
Dr. Aminata Zerbo/Sabane, Burkinabé minister of Digital Transition, Posts, and Electronic Communications, welcomed the agreement as a starting point. She urged the regulators to ensure the cooperation framework's effectiveness, define common priorities, and translate commitments into concrete actions. The minister stressed the imperative of visible results and the need for the integration to benefit all populations, particularly rural communities, youth, women, and vulnerable groups.
The establishment of the Sahel Regulators Council has been hailed as a significant step towards promoting digital integration and cooperation in the Sahel region. The council's success will depend on the commitment and collaboration of its member states. Three key points underpin the council's objectives: enhancing regional integration, fostering cooperation among regulators, and promoting digital development in the Sahel region.
Key points
- The Sahel Regulators Council aims to address common challenges in electronic communications and postal services.
- The council will focus on community roaming, frequency coordination, and equipment homologation.
- The success of the council depends on the commitment and collaboration of its member states.
