During a visit to Ivory Coast, Ghanas president promised to mediate the return of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to ECOWAS

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and his Ivorian counterpart, Alassane Ouattara, have called on Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to rejoin the West African economic bloc (ECOWAS). The three countries officially left the grouping earlier this year after military coups strained their relations.

Addressing a joint news conference in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), on Wednesday, visiting President Mahama volunteered to serve as a "bridge" between ECOWAS and the three Sahel states.

"I will offer myself as a bridge between ECOWAS and the three countries and see how we can work with them so that they not only remain within our subregion but also do the transition to constitutional democracy," he said.

"I hope that President Mahama's appeal will be heard by these three brother countries, that we can continue together within ECOWAS," Ouattara also stated.

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger jointly announced that they were leaving the 15-nation grouping in January last year. They accused ECOWAS of posing a threat to their sovereignty by serving as a tool for foreign powers, particularly France.

READ MORE: West African bloc confirms exit of member states

The bloc, which is home to more than 400 million people, had threatened to send a French-backed military force into Niger to restore democratic order after Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown in July 2023. The military-ruled landlocked states have severed defense ties with Paris, citing meddling and the failure of its soldiers to quell jihadist violence in the Sahel despite their engagement for more than a decade.

On January 29, ECOWAS confirmed Bamako, Niamey, and Ouagadougou's departure, but pledged to keep its "doors open" to them. The authority had attempted to persuade the three former French colonies - which have formed a new group, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) - to rethink their decision.

In Abidjan on Wednesday, Ghana's leader announced a "pending trip" to the three countries, saying he plans to mention concerns and discussions he had with Ivory Coast's president in order to "get an early resolution to the crisis that we are facing."

"We are prepared to help them fight terrorism because, in Africa, we all know that when your neighbor's house is on fire, you have to help him to quench it before it spreads into your own compound," Mahama said.

(RT.com)