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The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr Omar Alieu Touray, has expressed concerns over the unwillingness of Niger Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso to return to the regional bloc despite all the efforts to convince them.
Touray made this known while speaking at the opening ceremony of the 92nd Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers in Abuja on Thursday, July 4, 2024.
The ECOWAS President said the body hasn't been successful in its attempt to establish a negotiation framework with authorities in the three Sahel countries on their decision to withdraw membership from the community.
The three military juntas in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali announced their intention to exit the regional bloc in a joint statement on January 28, citing the body's alleged deviation from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism.
The move came after months of several sanctions imposed on the trio nations by ECOWAS following the forceful takeover of democratically elected governments in the countries.
However, the regional bloc resolved to bring the aggrieved members back into its fold by easing some of the sanctions on them in February.
ECOWAS Chairman says aggrieved nations ignoring reconciliation
While the regional body had secured a positive assurance from Guinea on the unity of the community, Touray said Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have yet to give any greenlights despite several attempts.
“Despite our entreaties, in the form of softening of sanctions, invitation of the governments to technical meetings, and request for meetings, we have not yet gotten the right signals from these Member States.
“It has become evident that changes in the international system, which is significantly affecting our member states, are playing a role.
“To this end, we are proposing a Special Summit on the Future of our Community to examine the developments in the world and their impact on our community with a view to re-think our integration in terms of governance, relations with external partners, our Community norms and values, and approach to emerging issues like new technologies, social media and fake news, among others,“ he said.
Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso further isolate from ECOWAS
Meanwhile, the Sahel nations have ignored the ECOWAS overtures and continued to fashion a new path for themselves.
In March, they announced plans to form a confederation, marking a significant geopolitical shift in the West African region.
The new project tagged the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), enforced the nations' departure from their colonial ruler, France, and a turn towards closer ties with Russia.