Senegalese President and West Africa’s ECOWAS “facilitator,” BASSIROU DIOMAYE FAYE has called for dialogue and peaceful reconciliation with three countries that recently split from the bloc.

Recall that the military leaders of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso broke away from the Economic Community of West African States earlier this year and formed a confederation of their own.

ECOWAS heads of state met in Abuja on Sunday and deplored the “lack of progress in interactions” with Burkinabe, Malian and Nigerien authorities, who came to power in a series of recent coups.

The three countries’ decision to leave was fuelled in part by their accusation that France was manipulating ECOWAS and not providing enough support for anti-jihadist efforts.