"In this episode, we look at the establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and where they fit in the history of African politics. We discuss the legacy of French colonialism on the region and the enduring neocolonial domination after flag independence, what these countries are doing to continue to defend themselves against the threat of terrorism in the region, what their paths of sovereign economic development is starting to look like, the role of Russia and China in these countries, what the rest of Africa and the global South can learn from the AES, and where the AES fits in the vision of Pan-Africanism."