Togolese authorities organized a high-level meeting on Saturday, April 18, 2026, bringing together a large official delegation from Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.

Representatives from civil society organizations promoting Pan-Africanism from across the sub-region also participated. The President of the ECOWAS Commission and the regional institution's mediator responsible for the separation process with the Sahelian States Alliance also attended.

Togolese Foreign Minister Professor Robert Dussey took the opportunity to present Togo's new cooperation strategy with the Sahelian States Alliance, covering the period 2026-2028.

According to Professor Dussey, this roadmap is adapted to the unprecedented context of the emergence of the Confederation of Sahelian States. As a reminder, Togo had already established a strategy for its diplomatic relations with the Sahel countries covering the period 2021-2025.

According to Togolese authorities, the new approach to the relationship between Togo and the countries of the Confederation of Sahel States rests on five fundamental pillars.

"There is one pillar concerning political dialogue between Togo and the countries of the Confederation of Sahel States, a second pillar concerning the fight against terrorism, and a third concerning the integration of the peoples. In addition to these three pillars, there is a fourth concerning economic growth between Togo and the countries of the Confederation of Sahel States, and a fifth pillar focusing on issues of education, training, and the sharing of resources within our region, that is to say, the region of the Confederation of Sahel States and Togo," explained the Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Togolese authorities, who continue to play a mediating role between ECOWAS and the countries of this new alliance, deemed it necessary to involve the regional institution in this national initiative to ease tensions.

"We met with the foreign ministers of the three countries of the Confederation of Sahel States.Under the instructions of the President of the Council of Ministers of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, we also included ECOWAS in this meeting through the presence of the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS mediator in charge of negotiations for the separation between the regional institution and the countries of the Confederation of Sahel States," added the Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs.

According to sources close to ECOWAS and the Confederation of Sahel States, discussions are still underway to establish legal provisions for a definitive separation that will be less stressful for the population.

According to the Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Togolese capital intends to continue playing its mediating role by promoting dialogue in the crises that sometimes shake certain African nations. To this end, Togolese authorities believe that peaceful solutions must always be sought for all crises on the continent.

"Lomé wants to remain a city of dialogue. Togo is a country of peace, and we work for peace, tolerance, and dialogue between peoples and governments. The fact that the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the foreign ministers of the Sahel countries are meeting here demonstrates not only that Togo is a country of peace and dialogue, but also that our country serves as a bridge between the member states of the Confederation and ECOWAS, and between the international community and the Sahel."

According to some analysts, Togo wants to maintain the path of dialogue and negotiation in a region already fragmented by this rupture, and also shaken by a security crisis.