Ghana stands ready to serve as a bridge to help re-knit the fabric of West African unity, President John Dramani Mahama, has stated.
“We believe that through sustained dialogue, patient diplomacy, and principled negotiation, we can restore cohesion and rebuild trust in our good community,” President Mahama stated in his address at the launch of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Accra.
The event, on the theme “Stronger Together for a Brighter Future”, was attended by Liberian President Joseph Boakai, Togolese Prime Minister, Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, Mr Muhammad B. S. Jallow, the Vice President of The Gambia, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and representatives from all the 12-Member ECOWAS countries.
President Mahama said the recent decision by Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Sahel to withdraw from ECOWAS was a regrettable development.
“Yet, even in this, continuous engagements must remain our road star. We must respond not with isolation or recrimination, but with understanding, dialogue, and a willingness to listen and to engage,” he said.
“Since assuming office as President, I have prioritized diplomatic re-engagement with our Sahelian neighbors.”
He said Ghana had appointed a special envoy to initiate high-level conversations with the Alliance of Sahel States.
“I have personally led missions to foster trust, rebuild communication channels, and affirm our shared aspirations.”
President Mahama said these efforts reflected their belief that they had a shared destiny as a sub-region, and that unity, however difficult, remained the best path to shared prosperity and regional stability.
President Mahama said the period, called for giving greater solidarity and understanding for the difficult challenges that confronted their brothers in the Sahelian states.
He said diplomacy was not only about resolving disputes, and that it was about creating the conditions for peace, for inclusion and progress.
Adding that it was about fostering mutual respect and advancing their common interests.
He said in this regard, their commitment to integration through diplomacy must extend into economic, social, and cultural dimensions.
“Whether we are harmonizing trade negotiations, whether we are facilitating free movement of our people, or championing education and health cooperation, our diplomatic instruments must always work in the service of our people.”
President Mahama advocated the empowerment of ECOWAS institutions to act swiftly, credibly, and transparently.
“Our citizens must feel that ECOWAS is not some distant bureaucracy, but a living community that understands their struggles and champions their hopes,” he said.
“And let us never forget the power of soft diplomacy. Our shared languages, our new faith, our literature, and youth culture.”
He underscored that they were powerful tools binding them together more deeply than any treaty could.
“Let this 50th anniversary be a turning point for diplomacy in West Africa.”
He called for more investment in early warning systems, mediation capacities, and youths and women as peace builders.
He urged his fellow West African leaders to put position as sub-region ECOWAS, not only as a political and economic bloc, but as a diplomatic anchor for the continent; model of integration, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, in speech read by Madam Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, lauded President Mahama’s visionary leadership, unwavering dedication and steadfast commitment to regional integration and development ideals had been a source of inspiration and strength.
He said as a proud member of ECOWAS, Nigeria pledged to collaborate with every nation, large or small, to build an ECOWAS that was resilient and prepared to confront the challenges of their time.
Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, said in marking the 50th anniversary their objective was to celebrate, reflect, and recalibrate their community.
Source: GNA