A policy analyst with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union, Emmanuel Bensah, has called on the regional bloc’s leadership to initiate dialogue aimed at mending relations with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
These countries formally requested to withdraw from ECOWAS in December 2024, accusing the regional body of failing to protect and defend its members while posing a threat to their sovereignty.
The tensions followed sanctions imposed by ECOWAS on the three countries due to a series of coups and the ongoing political instability in the region.
Despite these strained relations, Burkina Faso’s leader, Ibrahim Traoré, attended the swearing-in ceremony of John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, an event also attended by ECOWAS Chairperson Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In an interview with Citi News, Emmanuel Bensah urged ECOWAS to leverage Mahama’s relationship with Ibrahim Traoré to explore ways to restore peace and rebuild trust among the parties.
“It is an opportunity for President Mahama and ECOWAS to seize and see what can be done to bring them back, capitalizing on the popularity Mahama currently enjoys,” Bensah said.
“I just hope they will take the necessary steps and engage in important backdoor discussions with President Mahama and his team on what role he or his colleagues could play in facilitating the return of these countries to the bloc.”
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