By Politico staff writer
President Julius Maada Bio has joined other West African leaders at the Second Extraordinary Summit of the Authority of Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS in Ghana to discuss the political situations in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea.
The Summit, held in Accra on the 3rd of February 2022 brought together Heads of State within the ECOWAS bloc, following the increased spate of coups in the sub-region.
The Heads of State held an Extraordinary Summit virtually on January 28, 2022, after the January 24, 2022, coup d’état in Burkina Faso. After the Summit, the Authority deployed immediately a high-level mission of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff to hold consultations with the Military Leaders.
Following that, was a Joint Ministerial Mission led by the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers that was also deployed to assess the political situation in the country and submit their report to the Authority of Heads of State, according to a press release.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the Summit, Chair of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government and President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, stated that he was welcoming his colleagues with a heavy heart to Accra to discuss the political turmoils in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea.
He further noted that the presence of his colleagues was a strong indication of solidarity, adding that "the resumption of coups is a matter of great concern".
Political leaders of the bloc had received reports by the Mission of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff and the Mission of the Ministerial delegation. President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, presented to the Authority two memoranda on the political situations in Mali and Guinea.
President Bio will depart Accra today, Friday 4th February for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government scheduled for 5th and 6th February 2022.
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