Akufo-Addo chairs virtual ECOWAS summit

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo joined his West African counterparts for a virtual summit today.

Over a dozen of regional leaders participated in the 58th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS. The meeting was under the chairmanship of president Akufo-Addo.

“The leaders will be considering, the report of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers while also deliberating on the political, economic, social and other issues affecting the region,” the bloc said of the meeting on its website.

The 85th Council of Ministers meeting, also virtual, had held a day earlier to prepare for the summit. Ghana was represented by minister designate for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.

Aside the heads of government, ECOWAS commission president, Jean-Claude Brou, the regional monetary group head and former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan were also in attendance.

Jonathan is the bloc's mediator in Mali’s political crisis following the forced 2020 resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and the military’s taking over the reins of government. Jonathan is also helping The Gambia on building consensus towards a new constitution - the first in post-Yahya Jammeh era.

La 58ème Session ordinaire de la Conférence des Chefs d’Etat et de Gouvernement de la CEDEAO a débuté, par visioconférence, ce samedi, sous la présidence de SEM @NAkufoAddo, PR du Ghana, Président en exercice de l’organisation régionale, en présence notamment du PR @IssoufouMhm. pic.twitter.com/tPuX2gQ3UP

— Présidence du Niger (@PresidenceNiger) January 23, 2021