In 2023, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso agreed to form the Alliance of the Sahel States (AES). Originally a military alliance, the AES made plans for economic and political integration. However, serious challenges are hampering this project. All three countries face the same problems: an endangered sovereignty, economic stagnation, and socio-political uncertainty. In the face of these challenges, which the AES struggles to address, popular discontent has become louder. For the