Mamadou Tangara, the African Union’s Special Representative for Mali and the Sahel, has visited the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja to reinforce cooperation between the African Union and the regional bloc at a time of major political shifts in West Africa. Tangara, who leads the African Union Mission for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL), held talks with ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray on strengthening collaboration in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and regional development across the Sahel and West Africa.
The discussions come amid significant changes in the regional political landscape following the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS in January 2025. The three countries have since formed the Confederation of Sahel States, a new alliance aimed at strengthening political and security cooperation among the military-led governments. Despite leaving ECOWAS, the Sahelian states continue to maintain certain technical and financial links with the bloc. These include participation in the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and continued involvement in the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) as non-regional members to support development financing and economic cooperation. Tangara’s visit to Abuja follows a recent mission to Bamako, where he met with Mali’s transitional leader Assimi Goïta to discuss security challenges in the Sahel and the evolving role of the Confederation of Sahel States. The engagement highlights the African Union’s ongoing efforts to maintain dialogue, coordination and regional stability in West Africa despite political tensions and institutional changes within the region
