Sahel police chiefs unite to strengthen security ties

The top police officials from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger convened in Ouagadougou this week to deepen their collaborative efforts under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The meeting, attended by security experts from all three nations, focused on crafting unified responses to the escalating security threats plaguing the region.

The gathering aimed to synchronize policing strategies, enhance information-sharing systems, and bolster the operational readiness of security forces. Key priorities included streamlining cross-border judicial investigations, improving crowd control measures, and integrating advanced technological solutions into policing practices.

At the opening session, Inspector General Thierry Dofizouho Tuina, head of Burkina Faso‘s national police force, emphasized the critical role police services must play in strengthening the AES. He highlighted that this gathering built upon commitments made during the inaugural police chiefs’ meeting in Bamako earlier this year, as well as resolutions from the recent security ministers’ summit held in July.

Border management emerged as another critical discussion point. Senior police leaders committed to standardizing cross-border protocols, intensifying intelligence exchanges, and cracking down on illegal roadblocks and extortion tactics that disrupt trade and movement across the confederal zone.

General Youssouf Koné, Mali’s police chief, underscored the necessity of pooling resources to meet public safety demands and advance the AES’s developmental goals. Meanwhile, Commissioner General Assahaba Ebankawal from Niger stressed that enhanced cooperation was vital to counter the surge in terrorist attacks, transnational crime, and other emerging security risks facing the three nations.

The three-day deliberations concluded with a set of actionable recommendations designed to cement police collaboration within the Alliance of Sahel States framework.