ECOWAS Sanctions and Regional Realignment in the Sahel: Counterproductive Effects, Sovereigntism, and the Consolidation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)

Abstract

This article analyzes the institutional breaking point in West Africa through the prism of the failure of the economic and financial sanctions imposed by ECOWAS on the military transitions in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Conceived as an instrument of absolute coercion (« the thunder ») to restore constitutional order, these comprehensive measures produced a paradoxical boomerang effect. Drawing on theories of sanctions effectiveness and the political sociology of crises, this study demonstrates that the severity of the embargo acted as a catalyst for siege nationalism. Rather than weakening the ruling regimes, external pressure legitimized their sovereignist discourse, consolidated popular support, and accelerated their endogenous cooperation. This dynamic led to the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and the announcement of their withdrawal from ECOWAS in January 2024. The analysis highlights the « mirage » of a punitive diplomacy unsuited to the informal and resilient economies of the Sahel. Ultimately, the article argues that the failure of this coercive strategy marks a major geopolitical reconfiguration in West Africa, characterized by a lasting institutional dualism and the implosion of the traditional regional normative model. Keywords: ECOWAS, Alliance of Sahel States, international sanctions, coups d’état, sovereigntism; regional integration, Sahel