Ecowas Commission President Omar Alieu Touray, on Tuesday, called on citizens of he bloc to welcome the year 2025 with a positive outlook better than in 2024 which witnessed ”considerable challenges”.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is closing the chapter on 2024, a year which tested its resilience, threatened its unity, as well as peace and stability in the region, Touray of the Gambia said in a statement.
Despite these challenges, the regional organisation has remained “unwavering” in its commitment to unity, peace and progress.
“We must therefore welcome 2025 with hope, as a year of renewal and transformation for ECOWAS. This new year is all the more significant as it will mark the Golden Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of our dear Community, a Community built on the ideals of peace, prosperity and unity for our peoples,” the diplomat stressed, expressing his deep gratitude to the management and staff of all its institutions.
Mr. Touray also expressed his thanks to the heads of ECOWAS member states who decided to grant, from January 29, a transitional period of six additional months to the Alliance of Sahel States (ESA), composed of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, three countries led by military juntas that have decided to leave the regional organisation.
This decision, taken at the ordinary summit of December 15 in Abuja, Nigeria, aims to organise the departure modalities of these Sahelian states that have been fighting for several years against jihadist groups. Even though this option was rejected by the leaders of the AES, its objective is to continue the mediation led by the Senegalese and Togolese presidents “in order to bring the three member countries back within” ECOWAS, Touray explained.
ODL/Sf/te/fss/as/APA