By Mark Longyen
Chairman ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Bio, has solicited deeper collaboration with fellow leaders to combat terrorism, enhance democratic governance, and invigorate intra-regional trade.
He also urged member states’ leaders to forge a stronger partnership between ECOWAS and Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, who recently exited ECOWAS and formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
A statement from the State House, Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Saturday said Bio made the appeal in the course of his high-level visits to Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Cape Verde and Senegal.
He was speaking during audience with presidents Umaro Embaló of Guinea-Bissau; Adama Barrow of The Gambia; Bassirou Faye of Senegal; and Cape Verde Prime Minister José Neves.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visits by Bio, who was recently elected as ECOWAS Chairman, aimed at strengthening subregional collaboration toward addressing the bloc’s critical challenges.
“He stressed the necessity of collective action to overcome challenges that impeded economic integration and undermine peace and security in the subregion.
“The President also highlighted the urgency of bolstering cooperation with all ECOWAS members states, including those in political transition.
“These high-level engagements demonstrate the significance of cohesive leadership in overcoming the challenges facing the ECOWAS community,” the statement said.
Throughout the visits, Bio is said to have expressed his gratitude for the honour done him by his West African counterparts to serve as Chairman during the bloc’s most critical moment.
Bio’s hosts were said to have acknowledged the robust bilateral ties existing between their countries and Sierra Leone, and congratulated him on his election as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority.
The statement further quoted them as reaffirming their commitment to working with Bio to enable him to successfully accomplish his mandate.
It further said that Bio was poised to draw on the experience and insights of previous chairpersons of the ECOWAS Authority to drive meaningful progress.
NAN also reports that the ECOWAS Chairman’s trip follows similar high-level visits to Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire. (NAN)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru
