Bring back Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger – Analyst to ECOWAS

Emmanuel Bensah, a policy analyst for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union, has urged the regional bloc’s leadership to initiate dialogue targeted at improving relations with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
These countries officially petitioned to leave ECOWAS in December 2024, citing the regional group of failing to safeguard and defend its members while posing a threat to national sovereignty.
Tensions grew after ECOWAS put sanctions on the three countries following a succession of coups and political instability.
Despite these difficult relations, Burkina Faso’s leader, Ibrahim TraorĂ©, attended John Dramani Mahama’s swearing-in event on Tuesday, which also included ECOWAS Chairperson Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In an interview with Citi News, Emmanuel Bensah asked ECOWAS to use Mahama’s connection with Ibrahim TraorĂ© to explore ways to restore peace and confidence between the parties.
“It is an opportunity for President Mahama and ECOWAS to take and see what they can do to bring them back in, riding on Mahama’s current popularity.
“I simply like to trust that they will do the needful and have some key backdoor conversations with President Mahama and his team about what role he or his colleagues may play in bringing these countries back.”