By Esther Wright
Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has said that dialogue is still possible even though the break may seem complete, because Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, the three countries of the Alliance of Sahel States, are founding members of ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States.
”The challenges and difficulties are many and we do not deny them. For our part, President Julius Maada Bio [Sierra Leone] has begun to build very effective relationships with these countries to restart dialogue,” he revealed.
In an exclusive interview with Le Point, the global News Magazine that enjoys over 22 million readers and millions of subscribers globally, the former Advisor of the Sahel to the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for UNOWAS, said Sierra Leone’s President will leverage the UN Security Council platform to discuss stability initiatives in the region.
“I have also personally worked in some Sahel countries, serving as an advisor to the UN Special Representative in Dakar, Senegal and later with MINUSMA in Mali. Therefore, I am closely acquainted with the difficult situation these states and their populations are facing,” he asserted.
He further disclosed that ECOWAS had also appointed Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye as a special envoy to engage the three Sahelian countries on the path to their effective return to the sub-regional organisation. He added that they were convinced of the need to do everything possible to ensure they regained their full place within the regional bloc.
“President Julius Maada Bio had the opportunity to hold a one-on-one discussion with his counterpart, Ibrahim Traoré. This allowed him to gain a clearer understanding of the situation in Burkina Faso. They discussed various topics, including different stability initiatives and how we should work with the Sahelian countries for their return to the ECOWAS family,” he said.
