After Morocco's initiative at the AU, ECOWAS is preparing to reintegrate three Sahel states

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, who currently holds the rotating presidency of ECOWAS, has called for the reintegration of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso into the regional bloc following their suspension due to military coups. «Ghana is ready to serve as a mediator to help restore unity in West Africa», he declared on Tuesday, April 22, during the launch of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States.

This push for reconciliation follows an invitation extended last week to the military leaders of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to attend the official ceremony commemorating the founding of ECOWAS on May 28, 1975. The three Sahelian nations had formally withdrawn from the organization on January 29, 2025.

President Mahama’s initiative comes just weeks after a similar effort by Morocco. On March 18, during a meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, Morocco proposed informal consultations with Guinea, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Mali, Niger, and Sudan to discuss their potential readmission to the AU. The proposal was welcomed by all the concerned countries, with the exception of Sudan.

Notably, on January 7, 2025, Ghana also announced the suspension of its recognition of the «Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)».

Under the non-aggression protocol signed in Lagos on April 22, 1978, and the mutual defense assistance protocol signed in Freetown on May 29, 1981, ECOWAS members reaffirmed their «determination to provide mutual aid and defense in the event of armed aggression or threats against any member state». This clause from the ECOWAS Charter could resonate with Mali, which remains locked in a diplomatic standoff with Algeria.