Deeply troubled by the rising number of military coups in the West African area, President Akufo-Addo has expressed his serious worry.

According to him, this is having an impact on the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) development and progress.

He explained this by saying that “ECOWAS was the poster boy of regional integration on the continent a few years ago, and it is important that we find a way to restore that position, that reality, and that image of ECOWAS.”

This occurred Monday evening at the presidency (Jubilee House), when he welcomed Leonardo Santos Simo, Special Representative of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).

As part of his journey to acquaint himself with West Africa and the Sahel after being appointed to the new position, Santos Simo is currently in Ghana.

“We are talking about a region [West Africa] which until four, five years ago, was held as a model of democratic governance on the continent.

“Virtually all the nations of ECOWAS were the subject of democratic elections but sadly that picture of ECOWAS as a democratic space has been compromised by the events in Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and now in Niger”, he noted with concern

“I think that a statesman of your stature and with the understanding of the problems of our continent and our region [that you have], you are in a very ideal position to promote that dialogue [between the UN and the African continent]”, was how he put it, whilst noting emphasis “we will all very happily assist in the finding a way where the UN and ECOWAS can work together effectively to deal with the problems of our area [West Africa Region].

Source: Richard Obeng Bediako ll Metrotvonline.com  II Ghana