ACCRA: Ghana’s President urged the visiting Senegalese counterpart to leverage his influence within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to address disputes with Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye arrived in Accra after meeting Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In January 2024, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS following their suspension due to military coups.
“We are lucky to have a new leader in place because I think he is also going to help us to try and resolve the big problem that we have in the ECOWAS community,” Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo said after meeting Faye.
In bilateral talks, Akufo-Addo commended Faye’s commitment to ECOWAS’ mission and his role in fostering dialogue and reconciliation. Faye, known for his anti-establishment stance and promise of reforms, embraced the task of uniting ECOWAS with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
Faye acknowledged ECOWAS’ current challenges but vowed to uphold regional integration and solidarity. He stressed the importance of unity in the region and emphasized the need to consolidate past achievements.
In Nigeria, Faye, alongside the ECOWAS chair Nigeria, aimed to persuade the suspended countries to return and uphold democratic values.
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