Despite growing acceptance of regional cooperation as a key development model, Africa has struggled to maintain a viable framework for regional integration due in part to diverging visions of regionalism. Although a considerable amount of research has addressed the resulting structural fragmentation, less attention has been given to the underlying disagreements over the form, content, direction and pace of regionalism. These disagreements contribute to fragmented and duplicative frameworks that undermine unity, political stability, security and development. This study argues that the recent exit of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from ECOWAS to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) reflects this often-overlooked dimension of African regionalism. Rather than viewing the AES solely as a political rupture, this article interprets its creation as a product of deeper historical dissensus over regional integration. It highlights the unresolved challenge of crafting effective strategies to address external influences and political instability, particularly in the Sahel. Drawing on qualitative analysis of historical narratives, economic trends, and institutional comparison, the study contends that the AES exemplifies these unresolved tensions at the heart of African regionalism. It examines the implications for development within ECOWAS. By situating AES in the broader context of Africa's fragmenting regionalism, the article offers insights into the obstacles to cohesive integration and emphasises the need for inclusive and coordinated frameworks to tackle shared developmental and security challenges.
Ologe et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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