Speaking to reporters, the Burkinabè head of state was pressed on the gradual construction of shared institutions between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. After progress on military, diplomatic and financial fronts, the creation of a currency specific to the three countries stands out as one of the most sensitive files on the table.

Asked whether an AES currency could be launched soon, Ibrahim Traoré gave no date, no name and no rollout mechanism. He simply urged observers to follow future developments.

At this stage, none of the three states has released an official timetable detailing an exit from the CFA franc, a transition period, or the arrangements for creating a joint central bank. Information circulating on social media about banknotes already printed or an imminent launch should therefore be treated with caution.

Authorities within the AES space have already denied several announcements attributing monetary decisions to the Confederation that had not been officially adopted.

La souveraineté monétaire reste un objectif politique

While Ibrahim Traoré offered no calendar, he has not shut the door on a currency of the alliance’s own. The Burkinabè president has repeatedly framed economic and financial sovereignty as a natural extension of the cooperation built with Mali and Niger. In that logic, the monetary question goes well beyond printing banknotes: it touches on reserve management, exchange-rate policy, financing of economies and price stability.

Any exit from the current system would also require institutions capable of running a shared monetary policy and of building confidence in the new currency. The AES has already begun developing some common financial instruments, notably through mechanisms designed to support investment and flagship projects across the three states.

These arrangements can be read as building blocks of a broader economic integration, without proving that a common currency is ready to launch. Moving to a currency of one’s own would be a far more complex step, with consequences for banks, businesses, cross-border trade, contracts, savings and public finances.

For now, the three countries continue to use the CFA franc of the West African Economic and Monetary Union. No official decision has been made public regarding a withdrawal date, a conversion rate toward a possible new currency, or a period during which the two currencies might coexist.