REGIONAL SECURITY: ECOWAS URGES MALI, NIGER, AND BURKINAFASO TO PRIORITIZE DIALOGUE AND RECONCILIATION

The West African regional entity, ECOWAS, has urged Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to give precedence to dialogue and reconciliation amid apprehensions of potential departures from the community. The collective assembly, convening in Abuja for the extraordinary session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial Level, accentuated the vital necessity for diplomatic initiatives and solidarity amidst regional adversities.
At the culmination of the session, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who presided over the MSC, articulated that the intentions of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali to withdraw from the community have posed yet another quandary. Nevertheless, there is encouragement derived from the collaborative ethos among members in addressing this quandary, upholding the community’s principles.
Ambassador Tuggar underscored the adverse ramifications that the exit of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger could entail for their populace. He stressed that the decision of these three nations to disengage from ECOWAS not only threatens to exacerbate the hardships faced by their citizens but also jeopardizes the strides made towards regional integration.
Furthermore, Ambassador Tuggar reaffirmed ECOWAS’s steadfast commitment to dialogue, diplomacy, and reconciliation as the fundamental tenets guiding its approach to resolving intra-community disputes.
Concurrently, alongside the emphasis on regional integration and diplomacy, the council session delved into the pressing issue of terrorism. A pivotal resolution emerged with the call for the activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force to counter the existential menace of terrorism looming over the community, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.