DAKAR – In a move signaling a more assertive stance, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) appointed Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé as facilitators to engage with the authorities of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, collectively known as the AES. This decision came during ECOWAS’s ordinary summit on Sunday, where the regional body expressed disappointment over the stalled progress with the AES nations.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the appointments are part of a “more vigorous approach” to reinvigorate dialogue with the AES, which includes Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. These countries recently solidified their alliance by forming the AES confederation on Saturday, a move that reaffirms their January 2024 declaration to exit ECOWAS. Additionally, ECOWAS has welcomed the offer from General Umaro Sissoco Embaló, President of Guinea-Bissau, to take a leading role in managing relations with Burkina Faso.

The regional body has also tasked the ECOWAS Commission with the development of a contingency plan to address all possible outcomes of its strained relations with the AES countries. The summit highlighted the potential adverse impacts of the AES’s secession, particularly concerning the restrictions on the free movement of people and goods, which could affect regional stability and economic activity.