Ghana stands ready to serve as the bridge to help re knit the fabric of West African Unity- President Mahama
The President of the Republic of Ghana H.E John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to serving as a bridge to re-knit the fabric of West African unity through sustained dialog and patient diplomacy.
President Mahama believed that through sustained dialog, patient diplomacy and principal negotiation, “ECOWAS” can restore cohesion and rebuild trust in its communities.
“This period, ladies and gentlemen, calls for even greater solidarity and understanding for the difficult challenges that confront our brothers in the Sahelian states.” President Mahama mentioned.
President Mahama made this assertion at the Accra International Conference Centre during the official launch of 50th Anniversary celebrations of the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) in Accra today.
He further added that, diplomacy is not only about resolving disputes, it’s about creating the conditions for peace, for inclusion and progress.
“ It’s about fostering mutual respect and advancing our common interest. In this regard, our commitment to integration through diplomacy must extend to economic, social and cultural dimensions, whether we are harmonizing trade negotiations, whether we are facilitating free movement of our people or championing education and health cooperation, our diplomatic instruments must always work in the service of our people.” He stated.
“We must empower ECOWAS institutions to act swiftly, credibly and transparently. Our citizens must feel that ECOWAS is not some distant bureaucracy, but a living community that understands their struggles and champions their goals, and let us never forget the power of self diplomacy, our shared languages, our music, our literature and youth culture. These are powerful two tools that bind us together more deeply than any treaty can.” He mentioned.
He tasked “ECOWAS” countries to let this 50th anniversary be a turning point for diplomacy in West Africa.
“Let us invest more in early warning systems, mediation capacities and youth and women as peace builders, let us position our sub region, not only as a political and economic bloc, but as a diplomatic anchor for the continent, a model of integration, dialog and peaceful co existence.” He stressed.
To mark this moment and strengthen regional bonds, President Mahama announced that, Ghana is offering a 1,000 scholarships to tertiary students from across the ECOWAS sub region to study in our universities. This is not just a gesture, it is an act of solidarity.
“It is a bridge to a future where our young people will grow up seeing each other, not as foreigners, but as partners”. President Mahama emphasized.
