Relationship dossier
Mali
Niger
Relationship assessment
Mali and Niger have forged a close political and security partnership through the Alliance of Sahel States.
Mali toward Niger
+70Mali joined Niger and Burkina Faso in the Alliance of Sahel States, which includes a mutual-defence commitment, and in the confederation established by the three governments. Mali's government also opposed external pressure on Niger after the 2023 coup, aligning its policy with Niger's military authorities.
Niger toward Mali
+70Niger joined Mali and Burkina Faso in the Alliance of Sahel States, including its mutual-defence commitment, and in the subsequent AES confederation. Niger's government has pursued political and security coordination with Mali through these shared institutions.
Overall relationship
+65The relationship is structured around political alignment and security coordination through the Alliance of Sahel States and its confederation. Shared opposition to external pressure after the 2023 coup in Niger reinforced that partnership. The practical scope and durability of these arrangements remain uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Mali and Niger have developed close political and security cooperation under their military-led governments. Both joined Burkina Faso in creating the Alliance of Sahel States, including a mutual-defence commitment, and later established an AES confederation. Their governments have also aligned in opposing external pressure following the 2023 coup in Niger. The partnership is substantial, though its implementation and durability remain uncertain.
Key developments
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso signed the Liptako-Gourma Charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, with a mutual-assistance commitment.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso established the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and effectiveness of joint security operations are unclear.
- The durability of the AES institutions and mutual-defence commitments remains uncertain.