By Kebba AF Touray
Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, has announced that the Commission will begin direct negotiations this week with the Sahelian states of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso following their recent withdrawal from the regional bloc.
He made the announcement while addressing the official opening of the First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament on Tuesday, 20th May 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria.
President Touray told lawmakers that the session was opening against the backdrop of two major developments: the complete withdrawal of the three Sahel countries from the ECOWAS Community and the celebration of the Community’s Golden Jubilee.
“In accordance with the Decisions of our Heads of State and Government of 16 December 2024, an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers was held in Accra from 22 to 23 April to examine a draft contingency plan for the withdrawal of the three Sahel countries,” he said.
He revealed that at the conclusion of that session, the Council adopted a holistic negotiation plan involving all ECOWAS member states, which included a strategic framework to guide the negotiations.
“This week, we will commence direct discussions with the three countries on the methodology of the negotiations,” Dr. Touray announced. “The position of ECOWAS is that the separation of the three countries should not come at the expense of the citizens of the Community.”
Turning to the Golden Jubilee of ECOWAS, Dr. Touray recalled the successful launch held on 22 April 2025 in Accra, Ghana. The next major commemoration, he noted, is scheduled for 28 May in Lagos, Nigeria—the birthplace of the ECOWAS founding treaty in 1975.
“This celebration will not only be a moment of rejoicing but, above all, a moment of reflection and introspection on our achievements and prospects,” he said. “In this regard, a Summit on the Future of West Africa will be held, where our member states will agree on a compact for the future of the Community.”
According to Dr. Touray, the summit will be preceded by a series of consultations involving various stakeholders within and beyond the region, aimed at critically assessing both the progress and shortcomings of ECOWAS over the past 50 years.
“As we celebrate our achievements, we must reflect deeply on what has worked well and what has not, both in terms of security and political stability, as well as in socio-economic and infrastructural development,” he stressed.
Dr. Touray underlined the strategic role of the ECOWAS Parliament in the region’s integration process. As the voice of the people, he said, lawmakers play a vital role not only in representing citizens’ views but also in communicating the Community’s efforts to improve lives.
He welcomed the Parliament’s recent initiatives to foster unity and social cohesion, including its Resolution and the Banjul Appeal of 28 April 2025, which encouraged the three departing member states to explore pathways back to the Community.
