West Africa: Algeria's Return to the Sahel - an Opportunity to Show AES Cohesion

Algeria's renewed engagement with the Sahel region, particularly through strengthening ties with Niger and Burkina Faso, represents a significant geopolitical realignment that carries substantial implications for European businesses operating across West Africa. After years of limited diplomatic presence, Algiers is positioning itself as a stabilizing force within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—a military and political bloc that has fundamentally altered the region's power dynamics since 2021. The timing of this Algerian pivot is deliberate. Niger and Burkina Faso, both members of the AES alongside Mali, have increasingly isolated themselves from ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and Western influence following military coups. By re-engaging with Algeria, these nations are consolidating a North African anchor that offers both military cooperation and economic alternatives to traditional Western partnerships. For European investors, this signals a recalibration of regional influence that demands strategic reassessment. Mali's continued skepticism toward deepened Algerian involvement, however, introduces complexity. The country's military junta has cultivated closer relationships with Russia and private military contractors, creating a fractured security landscape even within the AES framework. This fissure suggests that Algeria cannot automatically translate diplomatic overtures into unified Sahel policy—a critical consideration for investors assessing regional stability. The economic stakes