Ghana hosted the 61st Ordinary Session of the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Accra on July 3, 2022, at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel.
The Summit marked the end of the second-year stewardship of President Akufo-Addo. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is also the Chair of the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government hosted his colleagues 12 ECOWAS member states.
Ghana hosted the 61st Ordinary Session of the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Accra on July 3, 2022, at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel.
The Summit marked the end of the second-year stewardship of President Akufo-Addo. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is also the Chair of the Authority of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government hosted his colleagues 12 ECOWAS member states.
President Akufo-Addo assumed the Chairmanship of ECOWAS on September 7, 2020 in Niamey, Niger after Mahamadou Issoufou, former President of Niger, had ended his stewardship.
In June 2021, the mandate of President Akufo-Addo was renewed by his peers for another year based on his sterling leadership and to complete ongoing institutional reforms geared towards the reduction of the number of Statutory Appointees of the ECOWAS Commission from Fifteen (15) to Seven (7) as well as streamline operational cost. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday elected Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo, the president of Guinea Bissau, as its new chairman. Embalo was elected during the 61st Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Accra, the Ghanaian capital. He replaces Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Ghanaian president, who had been the chairman since September 2020.
“In a unanimous election, the authority of heads of state of ECOWAS elected Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo, president of Guinea Bissau, as the new chairman,” announced Akufo-Addo. In his acceptance speech, Embalo promised to lead the subregional bloc to restore peace and stability to the subregion.
"Despite the challenges that we are faced with as a result of violent extremism and the current global crisis, I believe, the solidarity within ECOWAS will enable us to overcome these challenges," said Embalo.
ECOWAS
Photo taken on July 3, 2022, shows the scene of the 61st Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Accra, Ghana. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday elected Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo, the president of Guinea Bissau, as its new chairman. Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo the president of Guinea Bissau attended the 61st Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Accra, Ghana, on July 3, 2022.
Among many others, the Summit was dedicated to examining and making decisions on the political, security and humanitarian situations in the Region.
Most notably, the Summit reviewed the current state of affairs in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso, suspended from the organisation, following the unconstitutional changes of government in the three countries.
Mali has become a pariah state in West Africa, following the decision of The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to withdraw all its ambassadors.
The bloc also decided to close land and air borders with Mali. This resolution was conveyed in a communiqué issued after an Extraordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Accra, Ghana. The summit was held on Sunday the 3rd of July, 2022 to discuss the political situation in the Republic of Mali. The communiqué said that after reviewing the situation, the regional leaders rejected the transition schedule proposed by the Malian military junta as ‘unacceptable.’
“Withdrawal of all ECOWAS Ambassadors in Mali
ECOWAS also imposed additional sanctions on the junta.
“Withdrawal of all ECOWAS Ambassadors in Mali; closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Mali.
“Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Mali, except the following products: essential consumer goods; pharmaceutical products; medical supplies and equipment, including materials for the control of COVID-19 products, and electricity “Freeze of assets of the Republic of Mali in ECOWAS Central Banks; freeze of assets of the Malian state and the state enterprises and parastatals in commercial Banks “Suspension of Mali from all financial assistance and transactions from financial institutions.’’
The communiqué directed all community institutions to take steps to implement the sanctions with immediate effect. It said that the sanctions would only be gradually lifted after an acceptable and agreed transition chronogram was finalised and monitored satisfactorily to ensure progress.
On the situation in Guinea, ECOWAS said it remained of chronogram for the election and the non-setting up of the National Council of Transition (CNT). “It also directs that a mission be fielded to Conakry to discuss the transition,” the communiqué said. Earlier in his remarks at the opening session of the Summit, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Chairman of ECOWAS praised the commitment and support of West African leaders to the progress and prosperity of the sub-region.
“As you did through the entire year of 2021, you continue to demonstrate your commitment to responding to urgent and critical evolving situations in the region. “This is the 6th Extraordinary Summit since I assumed the chair of the authority that Your Excellencies have participated in concerning the vexed issues of Mali and Guinea.
“It is strong testimony to your leadership and concern to the progress of ECOWAS,” he said.
Aside Osinbajo and Akufo-Addo, other West African leaders present at the summit were Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal, George Weah of Liberia, Patrice Talon of Benin Republic, Christian Kaboré of Burkina Faso, and Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire. Other Heads of State present included Umaro Embalò of the Republic of Guinea Bissau, Mohamed Bazoum of Niger Republic, Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, and the Vice President of The Gambia, Isatou Touray.
The summit was also attended by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who is the ECOWAS Mediator for Mali, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Jean-Claude Kassi Brou and representatives of international organisations
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Jean-Claude Kassi Brou.
The writer is a Broadcast Journalist with Media Creativity Ghana and Western Africa Magazine UK. She is also a member of parliament for Amansaman Constituency in Ghana, Majority Chief Whip for Greater Accra region and Minister for Gender and Social Protection all for Youth Empowerment Consortium of the Youth modal parliament in Ghana.
Comments
adamgordon
Thanks for sharing this post, it’s really helpful for me.
cmsmasters
Glad to be of service.
annabrown
This is awesome!!
cmsmasters
Thanks.