Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso resume dialogue with ECOWAS
Three junta-ruled Sahel states restarted talks on Saturday with the West African regional bloc ECOWAS. The sides agreed to work towards a framework agreement on cooperation.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, three Sahel states in West Africa run by military juntas, resumed dialogue on Saturday with ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, a regional bloc. The three countries withdrew from the organisation more than 18 months ago.
During the talks, the sides agreed to work towards what was described as a "framework agreement" on cooperation. The source does not specify which areas such an agreement might cover or when it is expected to be concluded.
Why it matters
The resumption of dialogue is the first sign that relations between ECOWAS and the three countries that left the bloc may be put in order through negotiations. If a framework agreement is reached, it would set out the terms of cooperation between states that are no longer members and the organisation itself.
Reporting
More details were provided in a FRANCE 24 report by the channel's regional correspondent Harold Girard.
