Photos: President Mahama on official visit to Burkina Faso

President John Mahama has paid an official visit to Burkina Faso.

According to him, the visit on March 10, was a reciprocal gesture following the attendance of his Burkinabe counterpart, Ibrahim Traore, at the inaugural ceremony on January 7.

“I am here to formally thank Captain Traoré for attending my investiture on January 7,2025,”he told journalists after closed-door discussions.

President Mahama said discussions also focused on the mutual interest of the two nations and underscored the need for the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to collaborate with the Economic Commission of West Africa States.

He said such collaboration is essential to secure the West African sub-region from activities of terrorists.

President Mahama attributed the current stalemate between the two bodies to lack of trust.

“I think there is a breakdown of trust among the leadership, and it would take time rebuild it, but we have to restore trust and confidence with each other, so that we can work together even if we are not part of the same regional body,” he stated.

He promised Captain Ibrahim Traore that the concerns of members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) will be forwarded to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for redress.

“We discussed the issue of AES and ECOWAS and I’ve got new perspectives about the concerns that the three countries have in respect of their relations with ECOWAS. I have assured Mr President that the next meeting of ECOWAS, I would pass on what they have explained to me to the other leaders,” he said during a post discussion press briefing in Burkina Faso.

The AES is a confederation formed between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. It originated as a mutual defense pact created on 16 September 2023 following the 2023 Nigerien crisis, in which the West African political bloc ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily to restore civilian rule after a coup in Niger earlier that year.

All three member states are former members of ECOWAS and currently under the control of juntas following a string of successful coups, the 2021 Malian coup d’état, the September 2022 Burkina Faso coup d’état, and the 2023 Nigerien coup d’état The confederation was established on 6 July 2024.

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