ECOWAS: Discussions with the ESA will now be conducted as a whole, rather than on a case-by-case basis.

At the last ECOWAS summit, the issue of the Sahel-Saharan Alliance (SSA) was central to the discussions between the heads of state and government. West African leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the dialogue with the countries of the SSA.

However, the sub-regional organization now wants to prioritize a collective approach. Therefore, discussions will be conducted exclusively with the ESA as a unified bloc. In other words, no dialogue will be initiated separately with Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, or ECOWAS.

At the conclusion of the Lungi summit, ECOWAS leaders also called on member states to refrain from concluding separate bilateral agreements with either of these countries in order to preserve a common position in the discussions.

In this context, Lansana Kouyaté's mandate has been extended until December 2026. His mission is to facilitate dialogue between the two parties and to work towards bringing their positions closer together.

Cheick Omar Ouedraogo