Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has renewed calls for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to return to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Maada Bio, who assumed the rotating ECOWAS presidency in June, said he hopes his good relations with the three Sahel nations will help bridge the divide. The junta-led countries formally withdrew from the 15-member bloc in January, a year after forming their own alliance in defiance of ECOWAS demands to restore democratic rule in Niger following its 2023 coup.
The ECOWAS leader described this as a pivotal period for the region, citing escalating threats from terrorism, climate change, political instability, and poverty. He pledged to prioritise democracy, security cooperation, economic integration, and institutional credibility during his tenure.
