Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Karamoko Traore sat across the table from Senegal's Foreign Minister Cheikh Niang, and just like that, a conversation that many thought was finished started up again. Traore led the Alliance of Sahel States delegation, while Niang headed the ECOWAS side, marking a notable moment of re-engagement between the two blocs.
Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali had pulled out of ECOWAS, the regional body that has long served as a pillar of West African cooperation and trade. Their return to the negotiating table signals that both sides may be willing to find some common ground, even after a dramatic split.
What comes out of these talks, and whether it leads anywhere lasting, is the question worth watching.
Originally published by Premium Times.