Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé recently met with Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigerian Foreign Minister and Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, to discuss mediation efforts concerning the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
The meeting, held on November 5, centered on the political and security dynamics in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—three nations that announced their exit from ECOWAS to form the AES.
ECOWAS has been striving to shift the position of these Sahelian states, which are governed by military juntas and face persistent threats from terrorist groups.
To address the situation, ECOWAS appointed President Gnassingbé and Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye as facilitators.
Faye and Abdoulaye Bathily, a newly appointed special envoy and seasoned diplomat, have undertaken diplomatic visits to Bamako in recent months.
According to ECOWAS regulations, the departure of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger is set to take effect next January, marking a year since the announcement.
The AES states have criticized ECOWAS, accusing it of straying from its foundational principles.