The nations of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali united to declare their union into the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) on June 6, 2024. Of the previous three years, democratically elected presidents in those nations were overthrown, which led to such a scenario. The main justifications given by the new Sahelien leaders for toppling their governments were economic hardship and concerns about regional security, namely the proliferation of terrorism.