West Africa: Ecowas Seeks Closer Ties With Sahel States – As Foreign Minister Nyanti Chairs Ecowas Council
Foreign Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS] are moving to forge closer ties with the Sahel, as the regional bloc prepares for high-level negotiations with the Alliance of Sahelian States [AES].
In Dakar this week, Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, chaired the final session of the ECOWAS Ministerial Council meeting convened to craft a common regional position ahead of the ECOWAS-AES talks.
Minister Nyanti led the deliberations at the request of Senegal’s Foreign Minister and Chairperson of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Cheikh Niang, who was said to be attending to national duties.
The Dakar meeting brought together foreign ministers from across the ECOWAS region to harmonize their positions and establish a common framework for engagement.
Under Minister Nyanti’s leadership, ministers agreed on joint negotiating positions covering four critical areas, including free movement and human development, trade and economic development, infrastructure and energy, regional peace and security.
The framework is intended to strengthen ECOWAS’s collective bargaining power and promote cooperation with the Sahel on shared challenges.
During the session, Minister Nyanti also presented Liberia’s proposal to advance a regional conflict-resolution framework at the United Nations Security Council [UNSC].
The proposal calls for security threats and conflicts affecting West Africa and the Sahel to be addressed through a distinctly regional lens — giving greater weight to the experiences, priorities, and positions of ECOWAS and other regional bodies.
The proposal received the endorsement of ECOWAS foreign ministers and was forwarded for discussion with the AES foreign ministers.
In her closing remarks, Minister Nyanti called on ECOWAS member states to engage the AES as a united bloc, stressing the need for solidarity and a common agenda based on positions agreed in Dakar.
She emphasized that coordinated diplomacy is essential to addressing security concerns, restoring trust, and strengthening relations between ECOWAS and the Sahel.
The upcoming ECOWAS-AES dialogue is part of broader efforts to sustain communication and rebuild cooperation after Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formally withdrew from ECOWAS to form the AES.
Liberia’s delegation to the ministerial included Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods, National Security Advisor to the President, Ibrahim Nyei, Deputy Minister for International Cooperation and Economic Integration, Amb. Ali Sylla – Liberia’s Ambassador to Senegal.
Officials say Liberia’s active role underscores the country’s commitment to regional diplomacy and its push for collective, African-led solutions to peace and security challenges across West Africa and the Sahel.
By New Republic.
