The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Omar Touray, expressed regret on Thursday over the bloc’s inability to convince Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to rejoin ECOWAS, despite extensive efforts. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 92nd Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers in Abuja, Touray highlighted the challenges faced by ECOWAS in engaging with these countries, which have remained unresponsive to the bloc’s overtures.
Since military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS in January 2024, the regional organization has attempted to facilitate their return by lifting certain sanctions and inviting them to technical meetings. However, these efforts have not yielded the desired outcome.
Touray also called on member states to increase their contributions to operationalize the ECOWAS counter-terrorism force and fund the action plan to combat terrorism, stressing the importance of strengthening the region’s security framework, which is threatened by political instability and other factors.
Proofreading and editing by Sakinat Musa Abubakar and Maryam Suleiman, Journalist and Editor at Neptune Prime.
