- Tinubu To Faye: “Work With Me To Defeat Terrorism, Human Trafficking In West Africa“
By Abiola Olawale
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged his Senegalese counterpart, Bassirou Faye, to convince the military juntas of Niger, Mali, and Burkina-Faso to return to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Tinubu made the call on Thursday, May 16, while playing host to President Faye, who made his first visit to Nigeria after becoming president of Senegal.
In his address, the Nigerian president, who currently serves as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, appealed to the Senegalese President to join the renewed efforts in bringing back the sister counties into the regional bloc after military takeovers between 2022 and 2023.
This was contained in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Tinubu was quoted as saying: “I am inviting you (Faye) to collaborate and meet those other brothers, to persuade them to come back to the fold.”
The New Diplomat reports that the military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger on January 28, 2024, announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS, after the trio had been sanctioned following military coups that overthrew elected civilian governments in the countries.
While announcing their withdrawal, the military strongmen alleged that France was instrumentalisimg ECOWAS. They also alleged that the bloc had fallen under the influence of some other foreign governments, whose interests, they said, were far from the peoples’.
However, ECOWAS, on February 24, resolved to lift economic sanctions on Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
President Tinubu also urged Faye to work with Nigeria to effectively address the challenges confronting the region.
He said that West Africa can achieve lots of success in combating terrorism, banditry, and human trafficking by joining hands together.
The Nigerian president advised that leaders in the region must make the people the point of convergence in governance, noting that the essence of democracy is lost when the people are not the focal point.
Tinubu continued: “We must defeat human trafficking; we must defeat terrorism, banditry, and poverty in our society. That must be our focus and commitment.”
In his remarks, President Faye acknowledged Nigeria and Senegal’s shared values, ideals, and challenges, emphasising that both nations have always had good relations since the 1960s.
“The good relations we have and the relations between our private sectors should be beneficial to our countries,” Faye said.
The Senegalese President called for the reactivation of the Nigeria-Senegal joint commission, to strengthen bilateral relations across the areas of diplomacy, trade, and other spheres.
Speaking on ECOWAS, Faye said that with President Tinubu’s wisdom and experience, relations among member states can be strengthened and bolstered for the advancement of the community.
He said: “ECOWAS is the beacon of successful regional integration in Africa and globally. It is something we owe to the founding fathers of the community, and I do not doubt that you want to continue this legacy of integration. The union is going through a rough patch, but not everything is lost.
“I know I can rely on your wisdom and experience, as the leader of this great African nation, and the more recent example of Senegal; so that together, hand in hand, we can grow, and that we can discuss with our brothers and convince them to come back into the fold. To come back and share our common democratic values and what we stand for.
“Your wisdom and your democratic values should be an asset to that vision, and my youth and determination can also be an asset. If we come together, with all these assets and advantages, I am convinced we can open a window of opportunity to discuss.
“United, we are stronger. Faced with common challenges, such as human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and all other challenges, we need to show resolve to confront these challenges so that economically, we can thrive and satisfy the wishes of our people.”
