Senegal, a crucial member of ECOWAS, has asked the organization to work with the Alliance of the Sahel States, which includes the ECOWAS breakaway members Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.
He noted that this is crucial for the stability of the greater West African region.
The president of Senegal also noted that despite being a member of ECOWAS, he is already making strides in cooperating with the AES.
“I am making progress with this mission,” the Senegalese president stated at the Doha Forum for political dialogue in Qatar.
“There is nothing today to prevent the Alliance of Sahel States from being maintained, since it is already there and is a response to the security situation facing these countries in particular,” he added.
Fallout between AES and ECOWAS
The three West African countries that make up the AES sharply exited ECOWAS in January of this year, citing the organization’s alleged lack of support for their efforts to combat terrorism, and its subservience to former colonial power France.
Additionally, these three countries have followed comparable routes to what they see as a more promising economic future.
They all agree that they no longer wish to be a part of the West African Bloc, and have overthrown previous regimes in coups.
Their exit from ECOWAS immediately drew a response from the group, which declared that it would take the necessary steps to reinstate the countries back to their original bloc, including setting up economic sanctions against said nations.
The president of Senegal stated that ECOWAS’s collaboration with the AES is essential in countering terrorism in the region, managing migratory concerns, and strengthening business relationships, as seen on Sputnik.
Faye also stated that the Alliance of Sahel States is now confronting a terrorist danger, and it is critical to preserve strong relations among its members.
“We share borders with other ECOWAS member countries, and if those countries have security problems, we will have security problems,” President Faye stated.
