Ouagadougou ready for 2026 Sahel Games: what to know?

Burkina Faso is gearing up for a vibrant celebration of sport and unity as the second edition of the Sahel Alliance States Games (JAES) arrives in Ouagadougou from 7 to 16 September 2026.

Nearly 540 athletes, coaches, and officials from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are set to converge on the Burkinabè capital for the event. Organisers revealed on Saturday 5 September during a press conference at the Stade du 4-Août that the delegation will include 376 athletes and 164 support staff and officials.

Eleven sports on the roster

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

Events are scheduled across multiple venues in the capital, including the Stade du 4-Août, the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000, the martial arts hall at the CNOSB, the National Sports Medical Centre, along Boulevard Capitaine Isidore-Noël-Thomas-Sankara, and at the Hamdalaye Hippodrome.

Enhanced reception and security measures

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

Authorities have confirmed that all competition and accommodation sites have undergone thorough checks and security preparations. Special arrangements are also in place to ease the reception and movement of delegations, as well as to secure the vicinity of sporting venues.

Sport as a bridge for fraternity

Under the high patronage of the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, this second JAES edition aims to go beyond mere competition. Organisers hope to leverage sport as a means to foster closer ties among the peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

The event is also seen as a chance to boost economic and tourism activity in Ouagadougou while nurturing the growth of national and sub-regional sports movements.

With the kick-off just hours away, authorities are calling on the public, especially residents of Ouagadougou, to come out in force to cheer on the athletes and turn these Games into a true popular festival defined by fraternity and sharing.