ECOWAS Ministers Meet Over Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger

Foreign Affairs Ministers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are currently gathered in a crucial meeting to deliberate on the recent announcement by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic of their intention to withdraw from the regional body.

The summit, hosted at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja, aims to address the ramifications of this unprecedented move and the escalating political crisis in Senegal.

ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Alieu Touray, emphasized the significance of unity within the sub-region, especially in light of the current challenges.

He argued that the reasons provided by the withdrawing countries lack substantial grounding and described their decisions as premature.

Touray reiterated the essence of ECOWAS as a community, not merely an institution, underscoring the importance of solidarity among member states.

The meeting also turns its focus to the volatile political situation in Senegal following the decision to postpone the presidential election, a move that has sparked widespread demonstrations across the nation.

The Senegalese parliament’s approval to delay the election from its original date of February 25 to December 15 came after President Macky Sall’s indefinite postponement, which raised concerns over the validity of the candidate’s list.

Allegations of corruption involving two members of the constitutional council, responsible for validating and publishing the list, have further compounded the issue.