Burkina Faso will host four major meetings of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) between August and November 2026, focusing on humanitarian action, youth, sport, employment, and entrepreneurship. The announcement was made on Thursday following the Council of Ministers.
The first event will be the second edition of the AES Humanitarian Forum, to be held in Ouagadougou from August 9 to 14, alongside the sectoral meeting of Ministers in charge of Gender. Under the theme "From Emergency to Resilience: Towards an Integrated Humanitarian Action Model for the AES," the forum aims to strengthen humanitarian cooperation among member states while improving the coordination of policies promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. Togo will participate as a guest country.
The Burkinabè capital will then host the Confederal Youth and Volunteer Forum from August 26 to 28. Discussions will focus on the contribution of young people to the development of the AES and the formulation of a common strategy on youth and volunteerism.
From September 1 to 10, Ouagadougou will stage the second edition of the AES Games, bringing together athletes from member states to compete in twelve sports, including football, athletics, handball, boxing, judo, taekwondo, and cycling.
The series of events will conclude from November 18 to 20 with the Confederal Employment and Entrepreneurship Fair. Held under the theme "Productive Employment and Economic Sovereignty within the AES," the event is expected to bring together more than 3,000 participants, including delegations from Mali, Niger, and several partner countries, notably Togo, Chad, and Senegal.
According to the Burkinabè government, these meetings aim to strengthen cooperation among member states, promote youth employment, foster regional integration, and reinforce the economic sovereignty of the Confederation. They are being organized as part of Burkina Faso's presidency of the AES, which it has held since December 23, 2025.
