On September 25, 2026, Burkina Faso's Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo met with regulators of electronic communications and posts from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The meeting aimed to discuss a cooperation agreement between the three institutions to strengthen their joint action within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The regulators were led by Dr. Pasteur Poda, President of the Burkinabé Regulatory Council.
The regulators discussed a convention to enhance cooperation and coordination of their missions. The Prime Minister commended the regulators for their initiative, which aligns with the sovereignty ideals of the three AES heads of state. He encouraged them to make the cooperation agreement concrete and impactful. The Prime Minister emphasized the need for the regulators to anticipate challenges in the telecommunications sector and protect populations.
The cooperation agreement focuses on several areas, including mobile communication roaming, frequency management, and postal services. The regulators aim to ensure effective roaming services, allowing users to benefit from integrated electronic communication services within the AES space. They also plan to collaborate on managing and controlling frequencies in border areas to improve communication service quality.
The regulators, including Saïdou Pona Sankaré from Mali and Moussa Zeinabou Seyni from Niger, discussed mutualizing expertise and sharing experiences to strengthen their intervention capacities. They also plan to increase concertation in international instances to better defend the common interests of AES states. The cooperation agreement is expected to contribute to building the confederal space.
The Prime Minister urged the regulators to make the cooperation agreement an instrument for protecting populations, improving services, and affirming sovereignty. The regulators welcomed the Prime Minister's orientations, which align with their goal of making the cooperation agreement a lever for action in favor of AES populations.
The meeting is part of a series of efforts to strengthen cooperation between AES countries. Recently, Mali and Algeria have also strengthened their relations, with Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb expected to visit Bamako. The AES countries are working to establish a common framework for trans-border cooperation.
The cooperation agreement between the regulators of electronic communications and posts is a significant step towards achieving the AES goals. The regulators will work together to address challenges in the telecommunications sector and promote cooperation between AES countries.
Key points
- The regulators of electronic communications and posts from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have agreed to cooperate to strengthen their joint action within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
- The cooperation agreement focuses on mobile communication roaming, frequency management, and postal services.
- The regulators aim to make the cooperation agreement an instrument for protecting populations, improving services, and affirming sovereignty.
