Ghana attempts to restore ties between regional bloc and breakaway states
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has paid visits to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger for bilateral talks as part of efforts to convince the leaders of the three neighboring countries to reconsider their exit from the West African regional bloc.
The tour, which began on Saturday, came just days after Mahama announced during a visit to Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) that he will be a “bridge” between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the breakaway member states.
“We’ve discussed issues of mutual interest. We’ve discussed the issue of AES [the Alliance of Sahel States] and ECOWAS. I’ve got new perspectives about the concern that the three countries have in respect of their relationship with ECOWAS,” he said on Monday, wrapping up his trip at a joint press conference with Burkinabe transitional leader Capt. Ibrahim Traore.
“I think there is a breakdown of trust among the leadership. It will take time to rebuild it but we have to work on it so that we restore trust and confidence in each other so that we can work together,” Mahama added.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger officially left ECOWAS on January 29 after military coups strained their relations with the grouping. They accused the regional authority of posing a threat to their sovereignty by serving as a tool for foreign powers, particularly France.
The bloc, home to more than 400 million people, had threatened to send a French-backed military force into Niger to restore democratic order after Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown in July 2023. The military-ruled landlocked states have severed defense ties with Paris, citing meddling and the failure of its soldiers to quell jihadist violence in the Sahel.
Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe and his Senegalese counterpart, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, had been tasked with negotiating the return of Bamako, Niamey, and Ouagadougou to ECOWAS. However, the three former French colonies have insisted that their decision is irreversible. They have now formed a new group, the AES, and invited other West African neighbors to join.
On Monday, Ghana’s president said he would report back to ECOWAS on the outcomes of his meetings with the interim leaders of Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey.
