Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu and his Ghanaian counterpart, John Dramani Mahama, yesterday stressed the need for continued engagement between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the breakaway Sahelian nations of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

The two leaders also emphasised security and economic cooperation for the benefit of the ordinary citizens in the Sahelian nations.

Addressing newsmen after a closed-door meeting at the State House, Abuja, President Tinubu, who chairs the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, praised Ghanaian President Mahama for his diplomatic efforts in bridging the divide between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

According to the President: “I feel good that he is here in the first place, and I am indeed very happy with the efforts he has made to have a bridge between the AES countries and ECOWAS”.

He stressed that maintaining dialogue with the breakaway nations was essential for regional stability, not for the benefit of their political leaders, but for the welfare of ordinary citizens.

President Tinubu said: “It’s not a bad idea for us because of the security situation in the Sahel region and the economic opportunities we must embark on to ensure the security of lives and prosperity of our citizens.

“The innocent people in this episode are the citizens of those countries, not much about us, the leadership. The citizens must be the first beneficiaries and the first point of reason together”.

President Mahama, who visited the Sahel nations as part of ECOWAS’ ongoing diplomatic efforts, said his trip was aimed at fostering dialogue and exploring avenues for cooperation.

According to him: “I came to thank him for the honor done me during my inauguration and also to brief him on the visits to the Sahelian countries—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—and to bring him up to date with some of the issues and to discuss with him”.

Acknowledging the complexities of the situation, the Ghanaian President noted that resolving tensions between ECOWAS and the breakaway nations would require sustained dialogue.

“Well, it’s a complicated situation, and it’s not as easy as we might think. We just need to continue to dialogue and see how we can continue to cooperate together, President Mahama further said

Thursday’s meeting between the two leaders underscored ECOWAS’ commitment to diplomatic engagement as tensions persist between the regional bloc and the Sahel states, which have severed ties with the organization following military takeovers.