Africa-Press – Gambia. The Ecowas Parliament yesterday commenced a four-day meeting in Banjul to seek diplomatic means to address the withdrawals of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the bloc.
The session brought together parliamentarians from across the region to discuss security and economic challenges related to the withdrawal of the three states.
Ecowas has given these three countries a six-month grace period, from January 29 to July 29, 2025, to reconsider their decision to exit the bloc. This transitional period aims to keep diplomatic channels open and prevent regional disintegration.
The Ecowas Parliament has advocated for extending the withdrawal deadline to allow further negotiation and reflection, emphasising the importance of unity and integration in the region.
In the light of the above and in an attempt to discuss the challenges surrounding the withdrawal, the Ecowas Parliament Joint Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM); Legal Affairs and Human Rights; Trade, Customs and Free Movement; and Social Affairs, Gender, Women Empowerment and Persons with Disabilities, convene this high-level meeting in Banjul under the theme “Considering the Political, Socio-Economic and Humanitarian Impact of the Withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from Ecowas”. It started on 28 April and will go on until 2 May at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Conference Centre.
Declaring the meeting open, the Speaker of the Gambian National Assembly, Fabakary Tombong Jatta urged the Ecowas Parliamentarians to not lose sight of the fact that the departure of the Sahel states reflects a complex web of security concerns, geopolitical realignments and institutional failures.
“It also calls into question the desirability of Ecowas’s problem-solving mechanisms such as over-reliance on sanctions without adequate diplomatic engagement, handling of political transitions, security challenges and communication with affected populations.”
He said the immediate impact of the withdrawal includes the potential disruption of established trade routes and economic zones.
Veronica Kadie Sesay, co-chair of the Committee on Social Affairs, Gender, Women Empowerment and People with Disabilities, said the Banjul meeting’s objective is to generate actionable recommendations that will enable Ecowas to mitigate the disruption caused by the withdrawals; strengthen institutional resilience to political realignments; foster dialogue and explore diplomatic engagements with the withdrawing states; and safeguard the foundational principles of regional solidarity and integration.
Delivering a goodwill message at the opening, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Momodou Tangara said: “We are all better off together as one family; one united West Africa with a common history, geography and destiny. We can overcome our disagreements and differences. We have the capacity, the readiness and willingness to achieve regional unity. Our unity is our strength. Let us work towards attaining African unity as encapsulated in the vision and dreams of the founding fathers of both the ECOWAS and the African Union.”
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