AES Inaugurates Unified Military Force in Bamako

The Alliance of Sahel States inaugurates its Unified Military Force at a Bamako air base, integrating air, land, and intelligence assets from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The force is backed by Russian arms agreements finalized April 2025. AES leaders present it as the foundation of a post-Western African security architecture — an explicit alternative to NATO-aligned counter-terrorism frameworks.