Members of the ECOWAS Parliament have appealed to Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger (Sahel States) to rescind their decision to quit the subregional bloc and return to its fold.

Senator Edwin Snowe, chairman of the parliament’s Joint Committee Delocalised Meeting, made the plea at the closing ceremony of its five-day meeting in Banjul on Friday, according to a statement.

The delocalised meeting of the Joint Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security, Human Rights, Trade, Social Affairs, Gender, and Persons with Disabilities was held to consider the far-reaching impact of the countries’ withdrawal.

The three countries officially quit ECOWAS earlier this year, claiming the bloc had deviated from its founding principles by becoming the West’s stooge.

Mr Snowe, a Liberian parliamentarian, noted that the withdrawal of the three countries was a challenging experience for ECOWAS, which had been in existence for 50 years, focusing on economic integration and development.

He emphasised the need to mend ties and foster unity, considering the importance of regional integration and cooperation and the withdrawal’s likely consequences on the socio-economic well-being of their citizens.

“We want you back. Let us come together as a team. No matter what, we agree to disagree,” the parliamentarian said.

While underscoring the importance of parliamentary teamwork, he urged staff members to brace for the challenges.

“The work we do here – there’s no good parliamentarian without all of the good staff. You can be well-educated and have all of the education.

“However, if you don’t have good staff, you don’t have a good team; you will not be a good parliamentarian,” he said.

Also speaking, Veronica Sesay, chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs, Gender, Women in Parliament, and Oppressions with Disability, appealed to the countries to ignore their grievances and return.

She highlighted the importance of unity and cooperation among member states, citing the example of ECOWAS’ intervention in Liberia and Sierra Leone during their civil wars.

“We need you people, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali back. We are a bloc; we should be working together. We’ve been helping each other, like us, who faced the war in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

“We appreciated the cause that was done by ECOWAS in their intervention to help us quell down the situation in Sierra Leone,” she said.

Ms Sesay also appealed to the countries to consider the impact of their decision against the backdrop of the conflict’s impact on vulnerable groups like women and children.

“When there is a problem, who faced the bulk of it? It’s women and children,” she noted.

The parliamentarians also emphasised the need to maintain dialogue with the Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic and advocated for an inclusive approach involving the ECOWAS Parliament and Commission.

They also recommended involving women parliamentarians in mediation efforts and mobilising other regional institutions, such as the African Union and river basin authorities.

The lawmakers noted that, despite the January withdrawal deadline, a six-month grace period was in effect to continue the dialogue to return the deserted countries to the ECOWAS fold.

The parliamentarians also reaffirmed their central role in preserving ECOWAS’ unity and stability, adding that they were committed to ensuring subregional peace, cohesion, security, and the free movement of people and goods.

(NAN)