ECOWAS: Basilu Dimayet-Faye says withdrawal from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger is ‘worst case scenario’

Senegalese President Basilou Dimayet Faye insisted on Sunday in Abuja that the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS must be avoided, estimating that the exit of these “three brotherly countries” would be “the worst scenario and a great harm to Pan-Africanism”.

“We must do everything to avoid the withdrawal of these three sister countries from ECOWAS. This would be the worst possible scenario and a great harm to the Pan-Africanism that our founding fathers bequeathed to us, and which we have a historical responsibility to defend and pass on to future generations,” he specifically declared.

The Senegalese head of state delivered a speech at the 65th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States.

The summit, held in Nigeria’s political capital, came a day after the announcement of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) alliance, which comprises Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

The heads of state of the three countries, Ibrahim Traoré, Assimi Goita and Abdoulaye Tiani, approved the treaty establishing the alliance at a summit held in the capital of Niger the day before, while reaffirming their irrevocable decision to withdraw from ECOWAS.

“I believe it is necessary to initiate appropriate reforms to adapt ECOWAS to the realities of the times and consolidate the collective progress we have made towards our common goals,” asserted Basilu Diomaye Faye in his speech, a copy of which was received by the Socialist Party of Australia.

At the same time, he assured his colleagues that Senegal supported the revision of the Additional Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and was convinced that its amendment would help preserve the democratic ideals that were its raison d’être.