Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and Minority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has called on West African leaders to take urgent and decisive steps to restore ECOWAS Unity by bringing Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger back into the regional bloc.
According to him, strengthening ECOWAS Unity is essential to stabilising the Sahel and protecting the economic and security interests of all member states.
The three Sahel nations formally withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after military takeovers, but Mr Afenyo-Markin said the sub-region must not abandon its “brothers and sisters.”
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“There must be some understanding to help stabilise the three Sahel countries,” he stated.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said military-led governments in the three countries must demonstrate political will to restore peace and create democratic institutions.
He cited the experiences of The Gambia and Benin as examples where bold leadership helped restore stability.
“We have seen the situations in The Gambia and Benin, where there was bold leadership and stability was restored immediately.”
He made the remarks following a recent terrorist attack in Mali, warning that weakened regional cooperation threatens the collective security of West Africa.
The Minority Leader stressed that insecurity in the Sahel has direct consequences for neighbouring countries because of family ties, cross-border trade and regional movement.
The need for stronger ECOWAS Unity, he said, has become even more urgent as terrorism and instability continue to spread.
“As ECOWAS member states, we have families that are connected. We have informal trading activities. Once there is a security challenge, it affects the entire sub-region.”
Mr Afenyo-Markin described the killing of 18 Ghanaian tomato traders in Burkina Faso as deeply unfortunate and a clear indication of worsening insecurity.
“This has created insecurity day in and day out. Ordinary citizens carrying out intra-regional trade are affected,” he lamented.
He also called on the African Union to work closely with ECOWAS to develop a credible framework for peace negotiations and democratic transitions in the three countries.
Mr Afenyo-Markin raised critical questions about the financing and resilience of extremist groups, asking whether enough resources and coordination are being deployed to combat them effectively.
Highlighting Ghana’s exposure, he noted that Ghana shares a border with Burkina Faso, making the country vulnerable to spillover effects.
“Once there is that insurgence, it creates instability for us. The cost of ensuring our own stability becomes high.”
He warned that existing chieftaincy disputes in northern Ghana could further complicate the situation if insecurity spreads southward.
According to him, increased spending on security diverts scarce resources away from vital social infrastructure and development projects.
“We have had enough warning signs. The time to act is now,” he stated.