President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, emphasized on Friday, May 23, 2025, that the ongoing withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the regional bloc must not harm ordinary citizens in those nations or across West Africa. Speaking at the first ordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament for 2025 in Abuja, Touray reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to unity despite political challenges. He noted that an emergency meeting in April 2025 established a negotiation framework for the exit, with direct talks with the three Sahel countries scheduled to begin this week following a strategy outlined by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in Accra, Ghana.
Touray’s remarks coincided with ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary, which he described as a moment for reflection on the bloc’s progress and future direction. He announced plans for a summit on West Africa’s future later in 2025, preceded by extensive stakeholder consultations. Additionally, Touray urged parliamentarians to address the risks of artificial intelligence, warning of its potential negative impact on youth if unregulated. The ECOWAS parliamentary session, ongoing in Abuja, will continue until May 31, 2025.
Leave a Reply