Tinubu solicits Faye’s help in bringing Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso back to ECOWAS

Tinubu solicits Faye’s help in bringing Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso back to ECOWAS 

President Bola Tinubu has appealed to the President of Senegal, Bassirou Faye, to join him in persuading Mali, Niger and Bourkina Faso to return to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The three countries withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2024 after ECOWAS sanctions were imposed on them following the military takeover of their governments.

The military rulers of the three countries announced their immediate withdrawal from ECOWAS in a joint statement.

They have refused to return to the regional bloc despite the lifting of the sanctions.

Tinubu, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS, received the younger Senegalese President on a visit to the Presidential Villa Abuja on Thursday.

“As the Chairman of ECOWAS, I am inviting you to collaborate and meet those other brothers; to persuade them to come back to the fold,” the Nigerian President said.

Tinubu however said democratic governance, democratic values, and constitutional order are sacrosanct and must be protected.

He said, “But how can we work for our people and make them the focus of our democracy if we are violating the rule of law and promoting unconstitutional takeover of government?”

The Nigerian President added that critical institutions and precepts, like the judiciary and the rule of law, must be respected and observed for the sustenance of democracy.

“Constitutional democracy is what Senegal proved to the rest of the world and Africa.

“It is a joy to have you here; to meet the hope and aspiration of our youths. You fit in perfectly well.

“A critical time it is in the history of constitutional democracy, particularly in West Africa. What you have embarked upon, a struggle couched in freedom, is remarkable,” Tinubu said.

In addition, the Nigerian President called for a common front among African nations in the fight against challenges of terrorism and human trafficking bedevilling them.

Tinubu described Nigeria and Senegal as brotherly nations, recounting both countries’ long history of cooperation.

“We must be able to partner and build the freedom we believe in – in economic growth, development and other spheres of governance,” the President said.

In his remarks, Faye acknowledged Nigeria and Senegal’s shared values, ideals, and challenges, emphasising that both nations have always had good relations since the 1960s.

“The good relations we have and the relations between our private sectors should be beneficial to our countries,” he said.

The Senegalese President called for the reactivation of the Nigeria-Senegal joint commission to strengthen bilateral relations across the areas of diplomacy, trade, and other spheres.

Speaking on regional bloc, the Senegalese President said, “ECOWAS is the beacon of successful regional integration in Africa and globally. It is something we owe to the founding fathers of the community, and I have no doubt that you want to continue this legacy of integration.

“I know I can rely on your wisdom and experience, as the leader of this great African nation, and the more recent example of Senegal; so that together, hand in hand, we can grow together, and that we can discuss with our brothers and convince them to come back into the fold.”