Ouagadougou is set to pulse with the rhythm of sport and unity as the second edition of the Sahel States Alliance Games (JAES) approaches, scheduled to take place from 7 to 16 September 2026 in the Burkinabè capital.

Close to 540 athletes, coaches and officials from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are expected to converge on the city. According to the organising committee, the combined delegation will comprise 376 competitors and 164 support staff. These figures were revealed on Saturday 5 September during a press conference held at the Stade du 4-Août.

Eleven sports on the agenda

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

The events will be spread across several venues in the capital, including the Stade du 4-Août, the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000, the CNOSB martial arts hall, the national medico-sportive centre, the Boulevard Capitaine Isidore-Noël-Thomas-Sankara, and the Hamdalaye racecourse.

Enhanced hosting and security measures

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

Authorities have confirmed that all competition and accommodation sites have been thoroughly inspected and secured. Special arrangements have also been made to facilitate the reception and movement of delegations, alongside reinforced security around sporting venues.

Sport as a bridge of fraternity

Under the high patronage of the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, this second edition of the JAES aspires to be far more than a sporting event. Organisers are determined to use sport as a means of bringing the peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger closer together.

The gathering is also being promoted as a chance to boost economic and tourist activity in Ouagadougou, while contributing to the development of national and sub-regional sport.

With the kick-off just hours away, officials are urging the public, particularly residents of Ouagadougou, to come out in force to cheer on the athletes and turn these Games into a true popular festival marked by brotherhood and sharing.