On September 22, 2025, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, calling the institution a tool of colonial oppression in the hands of imperial powers.

The Sahel states and Russia are deepening their strategic partnership, with a particular focus on military cooperation, built on shared interests to confront mounting security challenges and to shape an alliance independent of former colonial powers.

The United Arab Emirates is stepping up its strategic presence in West Africa, with its latest moves focusing on the Alliance of the Sahel States, which includes Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

After previously announcing their withdrawal from ECOWAS, accusing the bloc of straying from its founding ideals—Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso officially exited the organization following more than a year of intense diplomatic tensions.

Turkiye is working to increase its diplomatic and economic influence across Africa and strengthen its ambitions from the east of the continent to its west, at a time when it is preparing to begin exploration for gas and oil off the Somali coast.