Ouagadougou 2026: the Sahel’s sporting elite gather for the JAES games

Burkina Faso is gearing up to host the second edition of the Alliance of Sahel States Games (JAES), set to take place from 7 to 16 September 2026 in Ouagadougou, a celebration of sport and regional unity.

Nearly 540 athletes, coaches, and officials from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are expected to converge on the Burkinabè capital. According to the organisers, the delegation will comprise 376 athletes and 164 support staff and officials. These figures were announced on Saturday, 5 September, during a press conference held at the Stade du 4-Août.

Eleven sports on the programme

Competitors from the three member states of the Sahel States Confederation will battle it out across eleven disciplines, including athletics, boxing, cycling, football, handball, judo, karate, kung-fu wushu, wrestling, taekwondo, and archery.

The events will be held at various venues across the capital, notably the Stade du 4-Août, the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000, the CNOSB Martial Arts Hall, the National Sports Medicine Centre, along the Boulevard Capitaine Isidore-Noël-Thomas-Sankara, and at the Hamdalaye Hippodrome.

Enhanced welcome and security measures

Delegations are scheduled to arrive in Ouagadougou on 5 and 6 September, with their departure planned for 17 September. The official opening ceremony is set for Tuesday, 8 September at 9:00 AM at the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000.

Authorities have assured that all competition and accommodation sites have undergone thorough checks and security measures have been put in place. Special arrangements have also been made to facilitate the reception and movement of delegations, as well as to ensure security around the sporting venues.

Sport as a tool for fraternity

Under the high patronage of the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, this second edition of the JAES is intended to be much more than a sporting event. The organisers aim to use sport as a bridge to bring the peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger closer together.

The event is also presented as an opportunity to boost economic and tourist activity in Ouagadougou, while contributing to the development of the national and sub-regional sports movement.

As the opening draws near, the authorities are calling on the public, especially the residents of Ouagadougou, to turn out in force to cheer on the athletes and make these Games a true popular festival marked by fraternity and sharing.