Accra: Ghana stands ready to serve as a bridge to help re-knit the fabric of West African unity, President John Dramani Mahama, has stated. ‘We believe that through sustained dialogue, patient diplomacy, and principled negotiation, we can restore cohesion and rebuild trust in our good community,’ President Mahama stated in his address at the launch of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Accra.
According to Ghana News Agency, the event, on the theme ‘Stronger Together for a Brighter Future’, was attended by Liberian President Joseph Boakai, Togolese Prime Minister Victoire Tomegah Dogb©, Mr. Muhammad B. S. Jallow, the Vice President of The Gambia, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and representatives from all the 12-Member ECOWAS countries. President Mahama said the recent decision by Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Sahel to withdraw from ECOWAS was a regrettable development.
‘Yet, even in this, continuous engagements must remain our road star. We must respond not with isolation or recrimination, but with understanding, dialogue, and a willingness to listen and to engage,’ he said. ‘Since assuming office as President, I have prioritized diplomatic re-engagement with our Sahelian neighbors.’
He highlighted Ghana’s efforts by appointing a special envoy to initiate high-level conversations with the Alliance of Sahel States. ‘I have personally led missions to foster trust, rebuild communication channels, and affirm our shared aspirations,’ Mahama stated. He emphasized that these efforts reflected their belief in a shared destiny as a sub-region, with unity being the best path to shared prosperity and regional stability.
President Mahama called for greater solidarity and understanding for the challenges faced by their brothers in the Sahelian states, asserting that diplomacy is about creating conditions for peace, inclusion, and progress. He advocated that their commitment to integration through diplomacy must extend into economic, social, and cultural dimensions.
‘Whether we are harmonizing trade negotiations, facilitating free movement of our people, or championing education and health cooperation, our diplomatic instruments must always work in the service of our people,’ he said. President Mahama also pushed for the empowerment of ECOWAS institutions to act swiftly, credibly, and transparently.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a speech read by Madam Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, praised President Mahama’s leadership and commitment to regional integration and development. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, noted their objective was to celebrate, reflect, and recalibrate their community on the occasion of the 50th anniversary.
