Emmanuel Bensah, a policy analyst for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union, has called on the regional bloc to initiate dialogue with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, following their requests to withdraw from ECOWAS in December 2024.

The three countries accused ECOWAS of failing to protect its members and becoming a threat to their sovereignty, particularly after the bloc imposed sanctions in response to a series of coups and political instability in the region.

Despite these tensions, Burkina Faso’s leader, Ibrahim Traoré, attended the swearing-in ceremony of Ghana’s new president, John Dramani Mahama, on January 7, 2024. The event was also attended by ECOWAS Chairperson Bola Ahmed Tinubu, sparking hopes of potential reconciliation.

In an interview with Citi News, Bensah urged ECOWAS to use Mahama’s relationship with Traoré as a bridge to rebuild trust and bring the three countries back into the fold. “This is an opportunity for President Mahama and ECOWAS to engage and explore ways to restore peace, riding on the popularity that Mahama now has,” Bensah said.

He emphasised the importance of backdoor conversations between Mahama and ECOWAS leaders to find a path forward in resolving the ongoing tensions.

Source:TheDotNews