President John Mahama has extended another invitation to the military leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to attend the upcoming ECOWAS summit in Accra, for crucial Summit heralding the 50th Anniversary of ECOWAS
The invitation comes despite the three Sahel nations formally cutting ties with ECOWAS earlier this year and forming their own Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Their withdrawal has raised concerns about trade disruptions and regional cooperation, particularly for Ghana and its neighbours.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, explained that the invitation was made directly by President Mahama in his capacity as summit host.
“I did indicate all ECOWAS heads of state have been invited for this event, including heads of state of the AES countries,” Mr Ablakwa stated at the launch of the anniversary celebrations. “Because of the divorce from ECOWAS, it requires the host president to be solely responsible for that invitation. So they will come as guests of the Ghanaian president.”
He added that President Mahama’s move is a step towards rebuilding ties between ECOWAS and the breakaway countries.
“In the spirit of goodwill and seeking to foster reunification… when President Mahama discussed with his colleagues that he wanted to invite the AES heads of state, he did not face any opposition or resistance. That is really a good sign that there is genuine commitment and desire for ECOWAS to be fully reintegrated.”
Mr Ablakwa also revealed that President Mahama had briefed the ECOWAS Chair, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, on his engagements with the military governments.
“President Tinubu has said that at the next ECOWAS heads of state summit, President Mahama will be given the floor to present a detailed report of his engagements,” he said.
Meanwhile, questions have emerged over the continued involvement of the Sahelian leaders in ECOWAS matters, given their official exit. Fatau Musa, an ECOWAS expert, offered context to the long-standing challenges.
“Up until they left, they were participating in the Accra Initiative. ECOWAS always invited them to this meeting. Since about 2007, the Sahelian countries have been very reticent in collaboration with the rest of the region,” he said.
He explained that ECOWAS had previously attempted to build a Sahel strategy but met strong opposition from countries like Algeria.
“When the G5 Sahel was created, applications by other ECOWAS members to join were rebuffed. So the trajectory that the AES has taken is not very surprising,” he noted.
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