African Union Special Representative for Mali and the Sahel Mamadou Tangara visited the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States in Abuja to strengthen coordination between the two institutions amid shifting regional dynamics.
Tangara, who heads the AU Mission for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL), held discussions with ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray on improving collaboration in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and regional development.
The talks come as West Africa adjusts to the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS in January 2025 to form the Confederation of Sahel States.
Despite their departure from the bloc, the three Sahelian nations have maintained certain technical and security ties with ECOWAS, including participation in the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa and continued involvement in the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development as non-regional members to sustain financial and development cooperation.
Tangara’s Abuja visit follows a recent mission to Bamako where he met Mali’s transitional leader Assimi Goïta to discuss regional security and the evolving role of the Confederation of Sahel States.
The engagement underscores the African Union’s efforts to preserve dialogue and maintain cooperation mechanisms across West Africa despite political tensions and institutional changes.
