- Senegal's President Faye visits Mali to discuss its departure from ECOWAS
- Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso announced their exit from ECOWAS in January.
- Faye seeks to persuade Mali to reconsider its decision.
- Faye's efforts aim to maintain regional integration and address regional challenges.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye made his first official visit to Mali on Thursday, where he met with his Malian counterpart, Colonel Assimi Goita. During their meeting, Faye raised the question of Mali’s decision to leave the regional bloc ECOWAS.
Mali, along with its neighbors Niger and Burkina Faso, all run by military juntas, announced in January that they would be leaving ECOWAS, West Africa’s main political and economic bloc. This move reverses decades of regional integration.
The three countries have formed a defense and cooperation pact known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and plan to establish a confederation. However, Senegal’s Faye has expressed his desire to persuade the Malian junta to reconsider its decision to leave ECOWAS.
In an interview on Malian state radio, Faye said, “I spent a lot of time discussing it with the colonel. I understand the Malian position, which, although rigid, is not totally inflexible.” He emphasized the need for all parties to work together to find positive means of strengthening integration.
Faye suggested that this could be achieved through bilateral cooperation and by addressing the mistakes that have been made in multilateral cooperation. He stressed that ECOWAS is a valuable tool for integration that has brought significant results and should not be allowed to disintegrate without effort.
The three Sahel states formally notified the ECOWAS Commission of their decisions to leave the bloc in written notices dated January 29. According to the treaty, this means they will still be bound by membership until one year from that date.
Faye also visited Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, in the capital Ouagadougou on Thursday. During their meeting, they discussed the subject of ECOWAS, and Faye expressed his understanding of the fixed positions but also perceived a window of opening for dialogue.
Faye said, “We also discussed the subject of ECOWAS; I understand today that the positions are somewhat fixed, but I perceive in each of these positions a window of opening that allows us to establish a thread of dialogue.”
Faye’s efforts to persuade the Malian junta to remain in ECOWAS are seen as a positive step towards maintaining regional integration. His willingness to engage in dialogue and find solutions is crucial in addressing the challenges facing the region.
Faye’s visit to Mali and Burkina Faso marks an important step in addressing the issues surrounding ECOWAS and regional integration. His commitment to finding a positive solution is essential in maintaining the progress made so far.
