Muthomi Ireri
Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko made his first visit to Mali since his political party assumed power following the March 2024 presidential elections. The visit is part of Senegal’s diplomatic efforts to persuade Mali, now under military rule, to rejoin the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-nation regional bloc founded in 1975.
Mali, along with Niger and Burkina Faso, withdrew from ECOWAS following military coups that strained their relations with neighboring West African countries.
During his meeting with Mali’s interim president, Colonel Assimi Goita, Sonko emphasized the need for West African nations to overcome their differences and work together to rebuild “a Malian empire that stretched from here to Senegal, Ghana, and everywhere in between.”
In January, the juntas of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso criticized ECOWAS for imposing “illegitimate, inhumane, and irresponsible” sanctions in response to the coups, arguing that the regional bloc had failed to assist them in addressing their security challenges.
ECOWAS has been at the forefront of efforts to restore civilian rule in these countries, applying pressure through sanctions and rejecting the lengthy transitional periods proposed by the military leaders.
This marked the first time in ECOWAS’s nearly 50-year history that member nations have withdrawn in such a manner.
In response, the three countries formed a new alliance known as The Alliance of Sahel States.
Senegal’s President Basirou Diomaye Faye, who visited Mali in May, is also charged with the significant task of reuniting the fractured regional bloc.
Dj Vnyash
Silverio Omari
