4th Deputy Speaker banks hope on Parliamentary diplomacy to keep ECOWAS united

Fourth Deputy Speaker of the Community Parliament, Hon. Billay Tunkara has expressed optimism that their efforts to keep the three Sahel countries within ECOWAS can still yield result as there is a window of opportunity to achieve that.

“I am an optimistic person, I do not think it is impossible to get them to stay, there is a window of opportunity and we can explore that as Community lawmakers”, he affirmed. 

According to him, the activation of parliamentary diplomacy as a tool of engagement with the three concerned countries as directed by the Authority of Heads of States and Government would possibly do the magic. 
 
He pointed out that as part of the Parliament’s effort in pushing for parliamentary diplomacy, a delocalised meeting was held in Guinea Conakry, “and you can see the appreciation of their citizens seeing ECOWAS Parliament back in their Country. “It brought recognition to their Country”. 

He stated that Guinea, one of the troubled countries, despite being under military rule, the Authority of Heads of States and Government, in the spirit of keeping the unity of the community bloc allows Guinea to participate in its activities as they prepare to return to democratic rule. 
    
Time is running out on the exit threat issued by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the Community bloc; and overtures extended by the Authority of Heads of States and Government have also not received any favourable response from the military juntas. 

This then raises concerns about how this will end and the possible impacts on the citizens of these countries who currently enjoy free movement, trade among others in the sub-region.