Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana urge Sahel States’ Alliance to rejoin ECOWAS

The presidents of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, and of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, jointly appealed Wednesday for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to return to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), following their collective withdrawal in January. The three Sahelian nations formally severed ties with the regional bloc after mounting tensions.

“I propose to serve as a bridge between ECOWAS and these three countries to explore how we can work together, keeping them within the sub-region while transitioning toward constitutional democracy,” declared Ghana’s President during a visit to Abidjan. His Ivorian counterpart echoed this sentiment, expressing hope that “these three brother countries” would heed the call for regional unity.

The three nations experienced military coups between 2020 and 2023, subsequently forming their own confederation, the Sahel States Alliance. Their dramatic departure from ECOWAS followed a particularly contentious period after the Niger coup in July 2023, when the regional organization threatened military intervention and imposed severe economic sanctions on Niamey.

The leadership of the Sahel States Alliance have consistently accused ECOWAS of insufficient support against jihadist violence and alleged subservience to France, with whom they maintain frosty relations. Despite previous mediation attempts by Togo and Senegal, the military governments characterized their departure as “irreversible” when it took effect on January 29.

“We stand ready to help them combat terrorism, because when your neighbor’s house burns, you must help extinguish the fire before it spreads to yours. What unites us far outweighs what divides us,” emphasized Ghana’s president, who plans to visit all three countries soon.

During their meeting, the leaders also discussed defense matters, security concerns, and cocoa economics—the two nations being the world’s top producers.