By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has stated that he is making “progress” in his mediation mission with junta-led Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, following the exit of these three countries from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
“I am making progress with this mission,” Faye, an ECOWAS envoy, said on Sunday at the Doha Forum for political dialogue in Qatar.
ECOWAS appointed the Senegalese leader as a “facilitator” in July to persuade the three countries to reconsider their decision to leave the bloc.
“There is nothing today to prevent the Alliance of Sahel States from being maintained, since it is already there and is a response to the security situation facing these countries in particular,” he said.
“At the same time, this should not, in my view, mean the disintegration of ECOWAS,” he added.
The military-led governments of the three Sahel nations announced in January that they were leaving ECOWAS, accusing the bloc of being subservient to former colonial power France and failing to support them in their fight against jihadist violence.
According to ECOWAS, the withdrawal of the trio will officially take effect one year after the announcement, in January 2025.
The three nations have vowed not to return to ECOWAS, opting instead to form a military and economic alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which leans toward Russia for support after severing ties with France.
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have all experienced military coups since 2020, toppling civilian governments and forcefully taking over power. They continue to grapple with jihadist violence that began in northern Mali in 2012 and spread to Niger and Burkina Faso by 2015.
President Faye also called for reform within ECOWAS.
The progress made by the bloc, such as improved movement of people and goods, “must not be masked by problems of governance which, like many multilateral institutions, require reform to adapt them to the challenges of our time,” Faye said.
In response to the coups in the three countries, ECOWAS initially imposed trade restrictions, which were later lifted.
Senegal’s Faye, who unseated the ruling government and assumed power in March, was in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to attract investment support for his economic transformation agenda.
“Senegal is nobody’s preserve but that of the Senegalese people,” he said.
“We are open to all other countries, provided that they respect Senegal’s sovereignty and its social standards, and that the partnerships are mutually beneficial,” he added.
