President John Dramani Mahama has raised the alarm over recent xenophobic attacks on African nationals in South Africa, describing the killings of Ghanaians and Nigerians as a matter of urgent concern to the continent.
The President made the call in Lungi, Sierra Leone, last Sunday at the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, the climax of the ECOWAS Mid-Year Statutory Meetings.
He said Ghana was deeply troubled by the loss of lives and the fear and intimidation the attacks had caused, and welcomed the ECOWAS Authority’s decision to back the country’s request to have the matter placed on the agenda of the next African Union (AU) Summit.
“Africa’s liberation was achieved through solidarity across our borders. We must never allow that proud legacy to be weakened by intolerance and the actions of a small minority,” he said.
Turning to the proposed ECOWAS Compact, President Mahama urged the bloc to prioritise implementing its existing treaties and protocols rather than adding to them.
“Over the past five decades, ECOWAS has adopted numerous treaties, protocols and decisions that have greatly advanced regional integration.
“What is required now is the effective implementation of those decisions so that our citizens can fully benefit from them,” he said.
He said the Compact rested on six pillars, namely peace and security; economic transformation; science, technology and digital innovation; youth, women and future generations; institutional reforms, and geopolitical positioning, alongside democracy, adding that none of it would matter without implementation.
On peace, he warned that development would remain an illusion without it, and called for continued dialogue with the Alliance of Sahel States despite existing tensions.
“Geography has made us neighbours, history has made us partners, and our future requires that we remain one West African family,” he said.
He also touched on the need for investment in science, technology and digital transformation, and said citizens across the region were demanding more from democracy than periodic elections, including jobs, accountability and basic services.
Commission leadership
President Mahama said ECOWAS would soon appoint a new president, vice-president and commissioners, describing the timing as critical, given the security and economic challenges facing the region, and paid tribute to the outgoing leadership.
He commended Sierra Leone for hosting the summit at the newly inaugurated Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Lungi and thanked President Julius Maada Bio for visiting Accra recently following floods that claimed 39 lives.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with member states and the Commission to advance peace and integration across West Africa.
