President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that there is growing momentum toward reconciliation between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States — comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger — following months of strained relations.
Speaking during a meeting with Alexander Soros, American investor and philanthropist, in Accra on Friday July 18, he highlighted efforts made since assuming office in January to rebuild trust and open dialogue with the three Sahelian nations that had distanced themselves from the West African bloc after military takeovers in their respective countries.
“I came into office in January, one of the first things I did was to invite the leaders [of the Alliance of Sahel States] to my inauguration as President and after that, I visited all three countries and tried to establish a channel of communication and continuous dialogue with them,” Mahama stated.
He further indicated that the tone at the ECOWAS Heads of State meeting held just three weeks ago had shifted significantly from tension to cooperation.
“We held an ECOWAS meeting barely three weeks ago and happily, the whole mood has changed and there is now an appetite for rapprochement between ECOWAS and the three countries,” he said.
President Mahama disclosed that ongoing discussions are now being facilitated between the ECOWAS Secretariat and the Sahelian countries, with mutual understanding that certain protocols should be relaxed to restore normalcy in regional movement and trade.
“But in the meantime we all agree that let’s leave the protocols, let’s allow people to move freely, let goods be able to move freely across our borders,” he explained. “Let’s encourage the transitory and most of the countries that imposed all the sanctions have virtually raised all the sanctions.”
Mahama emphasised that the lifting of sanctions by several member states is a positive sign, and that a platform now exists to continue deeper diplomatic discussions aimed at restoring unity within the West African region.
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