The Economic Community of West African States - ECOWAS - has appointed Senegals President Bassirou Faye as a special envoy to hold talks with the military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger following their move to leave the regional bloc.
The appointment was announced by the newly re-elected Chairman of the regional bloc President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria at the 65th summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Abuja.
The meeting was held to tackle the issues confronting the bloc and the region, particularly the decision by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to withdraw from ECOWAS.
Leaders of the Sahel Alliance meet in Niger after leaving ECOWASThe meeting of West African leaders in Abuja was preceded by a summit of the three breakaway countries - Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger - just a day earlier, where they signed agreements for increased defense and economic cooperation.
This has further dampened hopes of their return to ECOWAS despite ongoing negotiations.
