An Extraordinary Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) opens in the Ghanaian capital Accra on Thursday to discuss the political crisis in Guinea.
The summit follows a visit by a high-powered ECOWAS delegation led by the Chair of ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Mrs Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, to Guinea, on September 10, to meet with military leader, Lt-Col. Mamady Doumbouya and ousted President Alpha Conde, to ascertain the political situation on the ground.
According to local media reports, the leader of the ECOWAS delegation to Guinea is expected to present its report on the findings to the regional leaders during the summit.
Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, told a news conference in Accra on Wednesday that the heads of state of Togo, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Niger and Senegal would join President Nana Akufo-Addo, who is the ECOWAS Chairman, at the summit.
Nigeria would be represented by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
According to the minister, The Gambia and Sierra Leone will be represented by their Foreign Affairs Ministers.
Guinea and Mali have been suspended from the regional body and would not be attending the summit.
The ECOWAS leaders are expected give the military junta in Guinea timelines for the return of the country back to democracy in accordance with the regional body’s treaty and protocol on democracy and good governance.
It is the second time ECOWAS is meeting to discuss political developments in Guinea.
On September 8, a virtual meeting was held by the Authority of the Heads of State and Government and Guinea was suspended from the bloc after the summit following the September 5 coup that toppled President Alpha Conde.
GIK/APA