President Mahama initiates moves to bridge Sahel States-ECOWAS divide

President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that his closed-door meeting with Burkina Faso’s Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has provided him with fresh insights into the concerns of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) on their strained relations with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 

Speaking at a press briefing in the Burkinabe capital, Ouagadougou, President Mahama pledged to relay the perspectives to ECOWAS leaders and emphasised the need to rebuild trust and foster regional unity.  

“This is an issue of broken trust among leadership and it will take time to repair,” President Mahama said.

“But we must work together to restore confidence, even if we are not part of the same regional body,” he added.

The meeting also focused on security, trade and economic cooperation, and Ghana’s commitment to mediating regional tensions and strengthening ties with its Sahelian neighbours.  

Arrival

President Mahama arrived in Ouagadougou for the high-level bilateral meeting with Burkina Faso’s transitional leader, Captain Traoré, yesterday morning.

The President was welcomed at the Ouagadougou International Airport by Captain Traoré, who led a ceremonial reception in his honour.

He inspected a guard of honour parade.

Accompanying him on the diplomatic mission were key officials, including Presidential Envoy to the Sahelian States, Col Larry Gbevlo-Lartey; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr Calistus Mahama; the Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Stan Dogbe; the Senior Presidential Advisor and Aide to the President, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, and the Deputy Spokesperson to the President, Shamima Muslim.  

Closed-door discussions

Following the welcoming ceremony, the two leaders engaged in closed-door discussions, during which President Mahama was apprised of new insights into the concerns of AES — made up of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — regarding their strained relations with ECOWAS.

President Mahama stressed the importance of collective action, stating, “When your neighbour’s house is on fire, you must help quench it. Terrorism is like a cancer; if we do not fight it together, it will spread throughout the entire body.”  

Economic cooperation was another key item on the agenda, with both leaders exploring ways to enhance trade, particularly transit trade and agricultural exports.

They also discussed the possibility of establishing a direct flight between Accra and Ouagadougou, as well as energy partnerships, including electricity supply and transit corridors for petroleum products.

It can be reviewed from time to time, as necessary, especially to correct possible loss of competitiveness and economic distortions.

Background

President Mahama’s visit to Ouagadougou is his second to the Sahel region since his assumption of the presidency in January this year to rebuild the friendship between Ghana and the Sahel countries.

The frosty relations between Ghana, ECOWAS and the AES stemmed from the non-negotiable demand by the regional bloc for the Sahel states to reinstate democratic governance following the military takeovers in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

The stance of ECOWAS followed by the Military Chiefs of the ECOWAS states threatening to invade the three countries, forced them to jointly release a statement in protest against that decision amid threats of reprisal attacks on ECOWAS member states.  

The ensuing development led to the exit of the three countries which later formed the AES, worsening the loggerheads between the AES and the ECOWAS.

The ensuing mistrust buried decades of the policy of good neighbourliness and mutual friendship between the ECOWAS states, including Ghana. 

The stance of the AES got worse when former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo while in the United States, said Burkina Faso’s actions were backed by Russia, the geopolitical arch-rival of the US.

However, the return of President Mahama has rebirthed the friendship and trust between Ghana and the AES which was evident in the attendance of key government functionaries from the AES at his investiture.

President Mahama in a display of commitment, also appointed Lt Colonel Gbevlo-Lartey (retd), a well-known military and security expert, as the Special Envoy to the AES.