News:
April 23, 2025
As the twelve member states of the Economic Community of West Africa states (ECOWAS) gather for a two day extraordinary Council session of Foreign and Finance Minister in the capital of Ghana Accra on the contingency plan relating to the withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso (Alliance for Sahel States AES), Chair of the Council of Ministers Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in his open remarks on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, assured his colleagues that the sub-regional bloc would over come and come out stronger.
Mr. Tuggar assured that the Community would continue to engage the AES on a platform of resolving its regional problems and it’s our responsibility to maintain the ECOWAS legacy handed over to us and pass it on to the next generation stronger cohesive.
“This is not the first time the unity of ECOWAS has been tested and would not be the last; let us not be distracted by the event; let us focus on the processes and strategies with longer term benefit to all member states and let us devote time for a constructive deliberations to have meaningful outcomes at the end of our engagement”.
And it’s expected that the Commission would present to them a memorandum of contingency plan for discussion the modality of disengagement of the three states and the effect of stopping programmes in the existing countries from ECOWAS and they would also consider the effect of suspended programmes.
As well as the emerging challenges of free movement of people goods and services and the council would also receive a memorandum on the relocation of ECOWAS institutions and agencies that are located in the three Sahel states.
He disclosed that the council is expected to come up with solutions to any advert effects that come out from the exit of the three countries. “It was never our wish that a day like this would come where ministers would gather to plan on the depatcher of some member states from our community bloc. But with the unfortunate withdrawal of the three countries to take decisions to suit the current realities as it’s a question of choice and exercise of sovereignty, we have no choice but to accept the wishes of the three Sahel states. This is not the outcome we sought as we look ahead”.
He said their purpose as policy makers is to translate this into a positive opportunity for renewal and not limitation; strengthen but stable further our effort to build a common identity and democratic values into an ever more effective discipline and reliable ECOWAS as they move on to see more value in regional integration.
West Africa, remains the most integrated region we should rededicate ourselves to the building on our success despite the challenges faced by the bloc in recent times, he added.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com