Togo seems to be actively seeking to join a new coalition consisting of the junta-led nations of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, for whom access to the nation’s port would be transformative.

Foreign Minister Robert Dussey has intensified efforts to engage with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), initially established as a security pact in 2023, which now aims for greater integration.

In January, he commented that membership was “not impossible,” but he advanced this notion further in remarks shared on social media last week.

“Togo is considering joining the AES, a strategic decision that could strengthen regional cooperation and offer access to the sea to member countries,” he said.

Access to a port is essential for the trio of landlocked countries in West Africa that have been impacted by jihadist violence and whose leaders took power vowing to enhance their sovereignty.

Rising tensions with Ivory Coast and Benin, perceived as aligning too closely with Western nations, have already prompted Mali, Niger, and Burkina to begin utilising Togo’s port in Lome and Ghana’s Tema port instead.

Analysts suggest that Togo’s inclusion in the alliance could improve access and create new trade possibilities.

Terrorists are increasingly operating in northern Togo along the border with Burkina Faso, where groups that have been causing problems in the central Sahel for the past decade carry out lethal attacks.

The AES junta leaders have faced challenges in gaining control over the jihadists since taking power in coups between 2020 and 2023 and have announced plans to establish a joint force of 5,000 soldiers. Togo supports the juntas’ announced strategy of reclaiming sovereignty.

All three West African nations have distanced themselves from their former colonial ruler, France, and the West in general, opting to strengthen ties with Russia and other emerging partners.