Chairman of ECOWAS Authority President Julius Maada Bio Meets B/Faso’s Capt Ibrahim Traoré, Pledges to Promote Peace, Unity and Stability in the W/Africa Region
By Raymond Enoch
In a historic diplomatic stride, His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, held a high-level bilateral meeting with the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, during a landmark one-day working visit to Ouagadougou.
Warmly received at the Ouagadougou International Airport by President Traoré, President Bio’s visit marks the first by a sitting ECOWAS Chair to an Alliance of Sahel States (AES) member country—a bold move symbolizing a renewed commitment to dialogue, cooperation, and regional solidarity.
During their closed-door talks, both leaders engaged in frank and forward-looking discussions centered on strengthening ties between ECOWAS and AES countries, addressing the region’s escalating security threats, and deepening bilateral cooperation between Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso.
President Bio emphasized the need for regional cohesion in the face of growing insecurity in the Sahel, driven by terrorism and violent extremism. He called for a unified security cooperation framework between ECOWAS and AES, noting that the challenges facing the region “know no borders” and demand a collective response.
“As someone who has personally transitioned from military leadership to democratic governance, I understand the complexities of political transformation,” President Bio stated. “This visit is not only one of solidarity, but of genuine dialogue—towards building a peaceful, united and stable West Africa.”
On the economic front, both countries pledged to boost trade and mutual investments, leveraging their comparative strengths to foster inclusive growth and sustainable development.
President Traoré’s warm reception and constructive engagement underscored a shared vision of regional integration, despite political differences and evolving governance structures.
“This meeting marks a turning point,” President Bio noted. “It lays a foundation for future collaboration between ECOWAS and AES, reinforcing our shared responsibility to the people of West Africa.”
The visit follows President Bio’s earlier engagement with Burkina Faso in August 2025, during his presidency of the United Nations Security Council, where he conducted on-the-ground assessments of the country’s security environment.
This historic visit sends a clear signal: dialogue, not division, is the key to West Africa’s collective future.
