The president of Ghana, Mr John Mahama said talks between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its estranged members, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have not yielded any fruitful result.
Mahama, who also doubles as the chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, disclosed this in Abuja yesterday after meeting with President Bola Tinubu to update him about his (Mahama’s) recent visits to the military leaders of the tree French-speaking West African countries.
Recall that the three French-speaking West African countries formally pulled out of the regional economic bloc on January 29, 2025 after more than a year of diplomatic tensions.
They accused ECOWAS of failing to safeguard member states and of aligning too closely with foreign powers.
They also created a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES by its French acronym) and strengthened alliances with Russia, Turkey, and Iran to address internal security threats such as jihadists and armed gangs, as well as external pressures.
Briefing journalists, the Ghanaian leader said he was in Nigeria to inform Tinubu about his diplomatic efforts with the military heads of state in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
He said the talks were aimed at addressing regional security and stability.
Despite achieving no breakthrough during his diplomatic shuttles, Mahama said ECOWAS would continue to dialogue with them.
He added that the visits gave him the opportunity to gather first-hand information about the concerns of the AES that needed further discussion.
Mahama acknowledged the complexities of the regional issue but assured that with continued constructive dialogue all pending issues between the AES and ECOWAS will be resolved.
“It’s a complicated situation, and it’s not as easy as we think. We just need to continue to dialogue and see how we can continue to dialogue together,” he added.
He stated that it is his responsibility to brief the chairman of ECOWAS, Tinubu, and fellow regional leaders and ensure continued dialogue with the Sahelian states.
“I came to thank him for the honour done me during my inauguration but also to brief him on the visits to the Sahelian countries Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger and to bring him up to date with some of the issues and to discuss with him.
“As ECOWAS chairman, it’s my duty to come and brief him on some of the concerns raised there so that we continue to dialogue with those other countries,” Mahama stated.
Responding, Tinubu praised the Ghanaian president’s role in bridging the crucial gap between the bloc and the AES.
“I feel good that he is here in the first place. I am indeed very happy with the efforts he has made to have a bridge between the AES countries and the ECOWAS.
“It’s not a bad idea for us because of the security situation in the Sahel region and what economic opportunity that we must embark to ensure security of lives and prosperity of our citizens,” Tinubu said.
