Emmanuel Bensah, a policy analyst with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union, has called on the regional bloc’s leadership to initiate dialogue to repair strained relations with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
The three nations formally requested to withdraw from ECOWAS in December 2024, accusing the bloc of failing to protect its member states and undermining their sovereignty. This followed ECOWAS-imposed sanctions on the countries due to a series of military coups and persistent political instability.
Notably, Burkina Faso’s leader, Ibrahim Traoré, attended the swearing-in ceremony of Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, alongside ECOWAS Chairperson Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking to Citi News, Emmanuel Bensah highlighted the opportunity presented by Traoré’s presence at the event. He urged ECOWAS to leverage Mahama’s rapport with Traoré to initiate peace-building discussions and work towards restoring trust and stability in the region.
“The presence of Ibrahim Traoré at the ceremony signifies an openness to dialogue. ECOWAS must act swiftly to rebuild trust and explore opportunities for collaboration,” Bensah stated.
This appeal underscores the urgency of addressing the ongoing rift to foster regional unity and stability across West Africa.
“It is an opportunity for President Mahama and ECOWAS to seize to see what to do to rope them back in, riding on the back of the popularity that Mahama now has.
“I just want to believe that they will do the needful and have some important backdoor conversations with President Mahama and his team on what role that he or his colleagues might play in bringing these countries back.”
