Senegalese President Diomaye Faye has visited Mali just days before formally assuming the chairmanship of ECOWAS, in a move widely seen as an effort to rebuild fractured ties between the regional bloc and the military led governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which formed their own Alliance of Sahel States after withdrawing from ECOWAS.

Faye, elected chairman of the ECOWAS Authority at the bloc’s 69th summit in Abuja, takes over as the organization grapples with one of the most serious crises in its history following the departure of the three Sahel countries. His decision to visit Mali as one of his first diplomatic engagements has been read by regional observers as a signal that reconciliation with the breakaway states could become a defining priority of his tenure, with diplomatic sources describing his talks with Mali’s transitional authorities as constructive, even though no formal announcement was made regarding Mali’s possible return to the bloc.

The relationship between ECOWAS and the three countries deteriorated after military coups prompted the bloc to impose sanctions demanding a return to constitutional rule, a move the juntas rejected as external interference before withdrawing altogether. Since taking office, Faye has consistently advocated dialogue over punitive measures in dealing with the Sahel governments, arguing that sustainable regional peace requires engagement rather than prolonged isolation, particularly as jihadist insurgencies continue to destabilize the region despite efforts by national governments to contain the violence.