New york: The Confederation of Sahel States (AES) is the result of a dignified choice made by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to address common threats and external interference, Burkinabe Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo told the UN General Assembly on Saturday. “The AES is not a retreat, much less a closure. It is an affirmation of our right to self-determination, to define our priorities, and to build regional cooperation exclusively for the benefit of our peoples. It is a choice of dignity,” affirmed Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the head of the Burkinabe government explained that this initiative marks the refusal to see the countries of the region serve as a maneuvering ground for external agendas. “It is the desire to be key players in our history and to write the future of our children ourselves,” insisted Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo.

He further emphasized that the AES Confederation is part of the continuity of the struggles led by Pan-Africanist figures such as Thomas Sankara, Patrice Lumumba, and Kwame Nkrumah. “Today, a new generation of leaders is taking up this torch with the firm conviction inspired by the father of the August 1983 Revolution (Thomas Sankara),” he concluded.