Tinubu picks Faye, Gnassingbe for talks with Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso
By Babajide Adekunle
President Bola Tinubu, acting in his capacity as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, has picked the presidents of Senegal and Togo, Messrs. Bassirou Faye and Faure Gnassingbé respectively as special envoys to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic.
The envoys are to hold talks with the military juntas in the three West African countries following their decision to cut ties with the sub-regional body, ECOWAS.
Tinubu had accepted at the meeting held on Sunday at in Nigeria’s federal capital, Abuja.
“I will continue to serve our interest and build on democratic values and the structure that we inherited. Thank you very much,’’ the Nigeria president said. In his speech, President Tinubu committed himself “to continue the service to the great members and the great minds that are committed to democratic values and our journey in the region.”
TheCornet reports that ECOWAS had initially taken a hardline stance on the military putsches that took place in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. It however recanted due to the resistance of the military juntas.
READ ALSO: ECOWAS makes volte-face, lifts sanctions on Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger
Last week, the three countries announced they had formed a military pact and a common association outside of ECOWAS.
