Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has called for reforms to bring the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) closer to its populace during his inaugural participation at the 65th ECOWAS Summit held in Abuja over the weekend.
President Faye, in his address broadcast by the presidency’s communications office, reaffirmed Senegal’s steadfast commitment to ECOWAS and advocated for unity and reform within the regional organization.
He stressed the importance of strengthening collective efforts to advance community projects and initiatives.
Addressing perceptions that undermine ECOWAS, President Faye called for a transformation of the organization’s image, aiming to dispel stereotypes that portray it as beholden to external influences and disconnected from the populations it serves under its Constitutive Act.
One critical issue highlighted was ECOWAS’ imposition of sanctions on member states following unconstitutional changes in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger over the past three years.
These sanctions, aimed at restoring constitutional order, have led to strained relations between some member states and the regional body. Recently, Niamey, Bamako, and Ouagadougou formed the Alliance of Sahel States in response to ECOWAS’ military intervention in Niger to reinstall President Mohamed Bazoum, later announcing their withdrawal from the regional institution.
Report By Aminata Fall