President John Mahama on Thursday said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is still engaging with its estranged members, called the Alliance of Sahel States.
However, he stated that talks have been complicated and that the bloc will “continue to dialogue” with the AES.
Mahama revealed this when visiting President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja to brief him on recent negotiations with the military juntas of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
According to him, these visits enabled him to collect points of concern that need further consideration.
He stated that it is his obligation to brief ECOWAS Chairman Tinubu and other regional leaders, as well as to maintain ongoing dialogue with Sahelian governments.
“I came to thank him for the honour done me during my inauguration but also to brief him on the visits to the Sahelian countries Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger and to bring him up to date with some of the issues and to discuss with him.
“As ECOWAS chairman, it’s my duty to come and brief him on some of the concerns raised there so that we continue to dialogue with those other countries,” Mahama stated.
Speaking on if there was any good news, he acknowledged the complexity of the situation, saying, “It’s a complicated situation, and it’s not as easy as we think. We just need to continue to dialogue and see how we can continue to dialogue together.”
Meanwhile, Tinubu underlined that the wellbeing of innocent residents must remain at the heart of all regional attempts to repair relations with estranged members of the ECOWAS.
“The citizens must be the first beneficiaries and the first point of reasoning together,” he said at the meeting.
Tinubu, Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, lauded Mahama’s efforts to bridge what he called a “crucial gap” between the group and AES.
His statements came during the six-month transition period agreed by ECOWAS for the removal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso as member states.
At the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in December, the bloc declared a six-month transition period from January 29 to July 29, 2025, after which it will engage in withdrawal protocol.
Dr Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, announced the resolution, stating that January 29 marked the end of the one-year statutory period since the three countries first filed their decision to withdraw.
The one-year period allows a withdrawing state to settle any financial or legal obligations it may have to ECOWAS or related entities.
The bloc also extended the mandates of Senegalese President Bassirou Faye and his Togolese colleague, Faure Gnassingbé, who have been leading ECOWAS’ mediation efforts with the three withdrawing states since June 2024.
During talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the State House last December, Tinubu stated that Nigeria is willing to pursue diplomatic solutions to the political impasses in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, ensuring that innocent citizens do not bear the brunt of military regimes’ actions.
He emphasised that, while military juntas were hesitant to provide specific timeframes for their transition programmes, ECOWAS will prioritise the interests and wellbeing of its population.
