The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has threatened to suspend funding from its projects across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger due to their withdrawal from the regional bloc.
The President of the ECOWAS commission, Aliou Omar Touray, while delivering his speech at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, said, their withdrawal could lead to the suspension of projects funded by the Community in these countries, impacting economic and financial cooperation, including investments from regional financial institutions.
Touray also added that withdrawal would result in the closure of ECOWAS regional structures in these countries and affect employment security for ECOWAS personnel from these nations.
While speaking further, Touray explained that the midyear report will cover the extensive work that has gone into other sectors such as agriculture and environment, education and culture as well as mines and energy, especially renewable energy.
“While the report will be presented during the closed session, its content will be made available for the public to see that Ecowas is not just about conflicts, elections and Coups d’etat.
“We will continue to work with our brothers and sisters of the media to communicate more on these areas.
“Since your last Ordinary session here in Abuja, a number of Important developments have taken place in the region.
“We have witnessed a significant transition of political authority in the Republic of Senegal. We have also had peaceful elections in Togo. I Congratulate both countries and assure them of the Commission’s continued collaboration.
“In Sierra Leone, an agreement for national unity which was signed by the stakeholders received a major boost recently during a review mission that ECOWAS, UN and the African Union undertook. We salute the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio and his role in the series of discussions that culminated in the resolution of various issues.
“The elections that have taken place so far this year and those that took place last year here in Nigeria, in Guinea Bissau, in Sierra Leone and Liberia show that despite all odds democracy is alive in our subregion.
“We look forward to the consolidation of this trend in the region as we prepare for a major election in Ghana later this year.
“Reminding ourselves of these positive developments is not in any form an exercise in self-glorification. Rather it is a recognition of the progress we as a community have made.
“But the significance of these events and developments is being overshadowed by the multidimensional challenges that our region faces.
“Our region is still confronted with multiple interlocking threats, including existential ones. These include climatic and man-made crises, leading to terrorism, violent extremism and food insecurity.
“Livelihoods continue to be threatened by illegal and unsustainable exploitation of our land, forest and Maritime resources. Governance deficits and marginalization have strained social contracts, engendering bitter rivalries, and unhealthy competition.
“To complicate the situation, our Region has become the arena of geostrategic and geopolitical rivalries, and the theatre of misinformation and disinformation that engender mistrust among and within communities and undermine social cohesion.”
Credit: Nigerian Tribune