Hanoi: The first edition of the Energy, Mining and Hydrocarbons Week of the Confederation of Sahel States (SEMH-AES) will be held from September 14 to 19, 2026 in Ouagadougou, jointly with the eighth edition of the West African Mining Activities Week (SAMAO), the organizing committee announced on Tuesday. The two events, organized by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries in partnership with the Burkina Faso Chamber of Mines, will take place from September 14 to 19 at the Ouagadougou International Arts and Crafts Fair (SIAO).
According to Burkina Information Agency, Doulaye Sanou, president of the organizing committee for SEMH-AES and SAMAO, stated that this joint edition will be held under the theme: "Governance of Extractive Resources: Geopolitical Issues, Challenges and Opportunities for African States." The first edition of SEMH-AES is being held in Burkina Faso following the decision by the member countries of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES)-Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger-to strengthen their cooperation in the energy, mining, and hydrocarbon sectors, explained Mr. Sanou, who is also the Secretary General of the Ministry of Mines.
He also indicated that this meeting in Ouagadougou aims in particular to foster discussions on natural resource governance, energy sovereignty, local development of mineral resources, and control of value chains. According to the Secretary General, the discussions will focus on the geopolitical challenges linked to critical and strategic mineral resources, in a context marked by increased competition for the raw materials needed for the energy and digital transitions.
"In Burkina Faso, the extractive sector is a significant lever for mobilizing domestic resources, creating jobs, fostering local development, and enhancing economic attractiveness," he stated. Doulaye Sanou highlighted several challenges, including the local processing of raw materials, strengthening institutional and regulatory capacities, securing extraction sites, financing, energy and petroleum infrastructure, and compliance with environmental and social standards. He added that participants will also consider local content and the possibilities for industrializing the extractive sectors.
'Exhibition spaces, B2B business meetings, panels, and visits to mining, energy, and tourism sites are also planned,' the Secretary-General continued. The event will bring together policymakers, public and private investors, experts, researchers, and representatives of civil society.
SAMAO, whose seventh edition was held from September 25 to 27, 2025, focusing on the challenges of mine rehabilitation and closure in Africa, will thus be held in 2026 jointly with the first edition of SEMH-AES, which expands discussions to the energy and hydrocarbon sectors.