President John Dramani Mahama has made a strong case for diplomatic re-engagement with the Alliance of Sahel States—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—following their controversial exit from ECOWAS.
Addressing dignitaries at the 50th anniversary celebration of the regional bloc in Accra on Tuesday, April 22, President Mahama acknowledged the departure of the three military-led nations as a troubling but not irreversible setback.
He cautioned against isolating the breakaway states and instead championed diplomacy, reconciliation, and open dialogue as the path forward.
“We must not respond with recrimination or exclusion,” he said. “We must be willing to listen, to engage, and to rebuild the bridges of unity.”
President Mahama revealed that Ghana has already appointed a special envoy to open high-level diplomatic channels with the Alliance of Sahel States. He added that he has personally led missions aimed at rebuilding trust and restoring shared values within the sub-region.
The former president reiterated Ghana’s belief in a common West African destiny, stressing that even in difficult times, unity remains the most reliable path toward regional peace and collective prosperity.
Mahama also extended an olive branch by inviting leaders of the breakaway nations to join the ECOWAS milestone celebration—a symbolic gesture of goodwill aimed at mending fractured ties.
