APA-Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) – After his trip to Mali, the Senegalese leader travelled to Burkina Faso on Thursday afternoon.
The second leg of Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s visit to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) took him to Ouagadougou, where he was received by junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore.
The two leaders had a tête-à-tête on subjects of common interest to their two countries, but also discussed sub-regional integration, marked by Burkina’s withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) along with Mali and Niger.
The Senegalese president deplored the fact that the doors to dialogue had closed within the regional organisation, but “we must not close the windows and draw the curtains either; we must leave space.”
At the end of his meeting with Captain Traore, he said that he “understands today that positions are somewhat clear-cut, but I see in each of these positions a window of openness that allows us to forge a
thread of dialogue.”
Even though the Senegalese President stated in Bamako that he did not have a ‘mandate’ from the regional body, he showed his willingness to work towards bringing the various parties together.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye showed his “willingness to work on both sides, so that there are areas of convergence” that will enable us to discuss what is not working and to see how to change what is not
working”.
“We have a historic responsibility and the heritage of our founding fathers to fight within ECOWAS and together to ensure that ECOWAS remains what it should never have ceased to be,” insisted President
Faye.
He urged his peers not to “divert ECOWAS from its objective of African integration and from its nature as an organisation of peoples.”
After creating the AES, Burkina, Mali and Niger announced their intention to leave the regional body at the end of January 2024, accusing it of being subservient to France.
During his visit to Nigeria in mid-May 2024, President Bola Tinubu urged his Senegalese counterpart to “bring back into the fold” the three West African countries affected by “unconstitutional” change of governments.
Nigeria was referring to Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, countries ruled by the military, which announced their withdrawal from the organisation at the start of the year.
DS/ac/fss/as/APA