Dr. Festus Aubyn, a regional security and governance expert, has described President John Dramani Mahama’s diplomatic overtures to the Sahel states as critical to ECOWAS‘ ongoing efforts to reunify the regional bloc ahead of its 50th anniversary.
Speaking on Ghana’s strategic engagement with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, Dr. Aubyn emphasized that Mahama’s renewed regional diplomacy marks a pragmatic shift from stalled multilateral negotiations.
“I think we need to understand the context within which the engagement of President Mahama is being conducted.
“If you recall, these three countries have a lot of trust issues with ECOWAS and, technically, they are also out of ECOWAS, if you look at the 1993 ECOWAS treaty”
Dr. Festus Aubyn, Regional Security and Governance Expert
He explained that despite formal withdrawal, the three Sahel states have deep historic ties with ECOWAS, making continued engagement not only necessary but fair and timely, especially as the regional bloc approaches a major milestone.
His comments come after President John Dramani Mahama extended an invitation to the AES to participate in the upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
This gesture is part of a broader diplomatic initiative aimed at mending strained relations between ECOWAS and the AES following the latter’s withdrawal from the regional bloc.
“At the multilateral level, ECOWAS appointed the president of Senegal and also Togo, President Faure Gnassingbé, to lead its mediation efforts, but we haven’t achieved much progress on that front”
Dr. Festus Aubyn, Regional Security and Governance Expert
According to Dr. Aubyn, the lack of tangible yield and the stalled progress of ECOWAS’ previous diplomatic efforts through Senegalese and Togolese leadership, prompts a shift towards leveraging trusted personalities with wider regional credibility.
He lauded President Mahama’s personal diplomacy, calling it a conciliatory and practical approach that recognizes the current political realities of the Sahel region. He noted that Mahama’s legacy as a statesman who has maintained positive relations across the West African sub-region provides ECOWAS with a unique opportunity.
“When President Mahama was elected as the President of Ghana, we’ve seen the kind of engagement he’s had with these three countries and, across the region.
“He’s one of the personalities that ECOWAS can use in terms of persuading these three countries to come back to ECOWAS”
Dr. Festus Aubyn, Regional Security and Governance Expert
A Symbolic Invitation
President Mahama’s decision to invite the Sahel states to the 50th anniversary celebrations of ECOWAS has been described as more than symbolic. According to Dr. Aubyn, it is a deliberate move to signal that the doors remain open.
“These three countries have been part of ECOWAS for almost forty eight, forty nine years? Right. So It’s only fair that if we are celebrating fifty years of ECOWAS, they are part of that celebration even as guests”
Dr. Festus Aubyn, Regional Security and Governance Expert
He emphasized that excluding the Alliance of Sahel States from the celebrations would have further alienated them, potentially deepening the divide within West Africa. Their participation, even as observers or guests, would underline the message of regional unity and reconciliation.
Dr. Aubyn remarked that ECOWAS should not treat the matter of withdrawal as irreversible. Rather, it must use every opportunity, including ceremonial ones, to rebuild trust and open new channels of dialogue.
“So President Mahama’s invitation is quite significant. It’s an opportunity for us to demonstrate to these three countries that they need to be part of ECOWAS because, as has been said, we are neighbors”
Dr. Festus Aubyn, Regional Security and Governance Expert
The former ECOWAS researcher underscored the fact that the countries involved are not just geographically proximate but deeply connected through “trade, culture, and social history.” This makes reintegration both desirable and feasible.
“We are intertwined culturally, economically, politically and so it’s important that, despite the fact that they’re out of ECOWAS, we continue to extend invitations to them to some of these events to ensure that we continue to engage them to come back to the original body”
Dr. Festus Aubyn, Regional Security and Governance Expert
As Ghana under President Mahama takes a leading role in West Africa’s political and security landscape, observers suggest that a successful reintegration of the Sahel states could mark one of ECOWAS’ most important diplomatic victories in recent history.
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