Thursday, 5 November 2026, will remain a landmark date in relations between Burkina Faso and Mali. On that day, Army General Assimi Goïta, President of the Transition and Malian head of state, made an official visit to Ouagadougou. He was welcomed at the foot of his plane by his Burkinabe counterpart, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, President of Faso and current President of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES). The summit meeting testified to the strength of ties between the two nations.
The visit formed part of efforts to strengthen the special relations of fraternity, friendship and active cooperation between Ouagadougou and Bamako.
In a fraternal atmosphere and a climate of perfect understanding, the two heads of state discussed matters of common interest at bilateral, confederal, sub-regional and international levels.
The talks reflected a convergence of views and a shared determination to build a better future for their peoples.
Bilaterally, the two presidents reaffirmed their commitment to consolidating cooperation between their countries.
Together, they intend to provide adequate responses to common challenges, particularly the fight against terrorism, a scourge that has long afflicted the sub-region.
They also instructed their foreign ministries to make the necessary arrangements for the effective holding in Ouagadougou of the 11th Session of the Burkina-Mali Grand Mixed Commission on Cooperation a strong signal of their desire to give concrete content to their partnership.
At sub-regional level, the two heads of state stressed the need to strengthen solidarity and their pragmatic, mutually beneficial partnership in the service of peace, stability and sustainable development.
They welcomed the hospitality and security enjoyed by their nationals on confederal territory and encouraged their respective communities to live in harmony.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré also expressed the gratitude of the Burkinabè people to General Assimi Goïta for the reception given to Burkinabè nationals turned back from Guinea — a gesture of solidarity that honours Sahelian fraternity.
The two presidents reiterated their appreciation of the considerable progress made by the AES, particularly regarding full sovereignty in the fields of defence, security, diplomacy, development, health and education.
Internationally, they reviewed major issues and welcomed their convergence of views. At the end of the visit, General Assimi Goïta praised Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s vision and invited him to make an official visit to Mali, an invitation accepted with eagerness.
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