The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is actively working to persuade Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to rejoin the regional organization.
Media reports indicate that a joint committee meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament was recently held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to address this issue.
The meeting, chaired by Benjamin Kalu, Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, focused on the potential security challenges that could arise from the departure of these three nations from ECOWAS.
Kalu highlighted the importance of diplomatic efforts to resolve the concerns that led to their withdrawal and mentioned that members of the ECOWAS Parliament committee plan to visit Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger soon to engage with their leaders directly.
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger officially left ECOWAS in February 2024 and later formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Recall, The AES held its inaugural summit on July 6 in Niamey, Niger’s capital, where a joint declaration was signed to establish the Confederation of Sahel States, with Malian President Assimi Goita elected as the president of the AES for a one-year term.
Report by Sang Donal Mendy