ECOWAS nominates Senegalese president to be Sahel Envoy

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The Economic Community of West African States – ECOWAS – has appointed Senegal’s President Bassirou Faye as a special envoy to hold talks with the military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger following their move to leave the regional bloc.

The appointment was announced by the newly re-elected Chairman of the regional bloc President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria at the 65th summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Abuja.

The meeting was held to tackle the issues confronting the bloc and the region, particularly the decision by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to withdraw from ECOWAS.

Leaders of the Sahel Alliance meet in Niger after leaving ECOWAS:

The meeting of West African leaders in Abuja was preceded by a summit of the three breakaway countries – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – just a day earlier, where they signed agreements for increased defense and economic cooperation.

This has further dampened hopes of their return to ECOWAS despite ongoing negotiations.

Experts indicate that this decision has major security and economic consequences, disrupting the free movement of people and goods between the three nations and other ECOWAS countries.

Additionally, it impacts militant insurgency in the Sahel, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and left millions in need of humanitarian aid.

The re-elected chairman of ECOWAS President Tinubu urged the newly appointmented special envoy Bassirou Faye, the President of Senegal to engage in “round-the-clock” work with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, coordinating efforts with him and the ECOWAS Commission to keep them within the bloc.

The leaders also discussed the region’s security and economic challenges.

President Tinubu emphasised that strong political will and significant financial resources are needed as ECOWAS looks to operationalize its standby force to combat terrorism and restore stability in the region.

The bloc is seeking over $2 billion to fund these operations.

Leaders at the summit stressed that a peaceful and secure West Africa is key to achieving its potential.