Burkina Faso is ramping up its diplomatic efforts in favour of the AES, said the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, in Ouagadougou on Tuesday.
“The challenge of consolidating the position of this new institution on the international chessboard is crucial,” emphasised the head of Burkina Faso’s diplomacy during the Administrative Sector Council (CASEM), urging for “an active diplomacy resolutely committed to defending the vision and goals of the AES for the full sovereignty of its member states.”
This strategic meeting comes amid criticism from AES leaders (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) of ECOWAS’s decision to extend the deadline for their withdrawal from the West African organisation by six months. In a joint statement, they accused some member states of preparing “destabilising plans” against their countries.
Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is preparing a 2025-2027 action plan that will further strengthen this independent diplomatic stance. “We will be able to enhance our diplomacy’s role in our country’s development actions and solidify its place on the international stage,” said Traoré.
The three Sahel countries, led by military regimes, announced in January 2024 their withdrawal from ECOWAS, accusing the organisation of being under foreign influence and hostile to their interests.
AC/sf/lb/as/APA