The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) needs reforms to more effectively fight terrorism in the region, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said at the Doha Forum 2024 in Qatar.
"Terrorism can happen anywhere. The successes we have achieved with ECOWAS through various mechanisms should not be downplayed against the challenges of governance, which needs to be reformed. Through ECOWAS, we can address these challenges […] The Confederation of Sahel States [Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger] is facing challenges," he stated.
In July, the presidents of Mali (Colonel Asimi Goita), Niger (Brigadier General Abderrahmane Chiani) and Burkina Faso (Ibrahim Traoré) signed a charter in Niger's capital, Niamey, establishing the Confederation of Sahel States to coordinate diplomacy and foreign policy after the three countries announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS on January 28.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which are the most affected by terrorist and armed gang activities in the Sahel region, cited the failure of the Economic Community of West African States to combat terrorism as the reason for their withdrawal.