By Gloria Ikibah
Peacebuilding specialist and UN Mediation Adviser, Emmanuel Habuka Bombande, has said that fresh calls for Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to rejoin the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS, are unlikely to gain traction without deliberate efforts to repair strained relations.
Speaking in a telephone interview, Bombande suggested that appeals from regional lawmakers, coming in the wake of renewed terrorist activity in the Sahel, risk being driven more by emotion than strategy. He argued that any serious pathway back for the three countries, now aligned under the Alliance of Sahel States, must begin with restoring confidence between all parties. 
He also warned that the recent surge in extremist attacks is not confined to the Sahel bloc, noting that the fallout poses a wider threat to stability across West Africa.
He said: “What is happening across the Sahel region has an impact on the whole of West Africa,” he said, adding that violent extremism within the AES directly affects neighbouring West African countries, threatening their peace and stability—even if trust, perception, and suspicion remain unproven.
The diplomat argued that ECOWAS needs structural reforms designed to rebuild trust. Only then can a collective security mechanism be established.
“When we are able to do that, we can talk about the three countries returning to join the bloc,” Bombande said.
He warned against moving on sentiment alone, pointing to recent events in Mali and repeated attempts to block Bamako.
“If we make it look like they have no alternative but to join ECOWAS, then the policy reflection would be wrong. At this point, one could argue they have nothing to lose”, he added.
Bombande linked the present turmoil to deep-rooted governance weaknesses, arguing that the emergence of military juntas in the three countries reflects a long history of failing to establish inclusive, nationally representative governments since independence.
He also pointed to the enduring Tuareg rebellion, which has long pursued an independent Azawad state. While the movement predates the current wave of terrorism, he noted that its trajectory changed significantly after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2012, when jihadist elements began to infiltrate and reshape the insurgency.
“Recently, Tuareg rebels have shown a willingness to work with terrorist groups—even if ideologically they are not aligned—because their goal remains separation from the Republic of Mali. That goes back to old grievances that Bamako has refused to address”, he added.
Bombande said Algeria mediated the 2015 Algiers Peace and Reconciliation Agreement. While Algeria has maintained support for Mali through it commitment for the pursuance of Dialogue between Bamako and the Tuaregs, there is distrust and suspicion from Bamako regarding a perceived dual role of supporting dialogue while at the same time, allowing its border areas to be a rear base of terrorists’ activities in Mali.
