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ACCRA, GHANA - APRIL 22: Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama called “regrettable” a decision by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Speaking at the launch of ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary celebrations in Accra on Tuesday, Mahama urged dialogue over division. “We must respond not with isolation or recrimination, but with understanding, dialogue, and a willingness to listen and engage,” he said. Mahama added that since taking office, he has prioritized diplomatic re-engagement, with Ghana appointing a special envoy to maintain high-level communication with the Sahel states. Stressing that these initiatives reflect their belief in a “shared destiny” as a sub-region, he said unity is the “best path” to shared prosperity and regional stability, despite it being “difficult.” Mahama underlined the need for “greater solidity and understanding for the difficult challenges that confront our brothers in the Sahelian states.” Originally a bloc of 15 member nations, the ECOWAS now has only 12 members since the three nations broke away. - Not just a celebration, but a ‘solemn moment of reflection’ The 50th anniversary celebrations of the ECOWAS were launched Tuesday, under the theme “Stronger Together for a Brighter Future” with a ceremony held in Ghana’s capital. Mahama described the milestone as not just a celebration, but a “solemn moment of reflection on our collective journey” as well as an invitation to revive commitment to the principles that bound “us together for half a century in unity, peace, regional integration, and above all, diplomacy as our guided compass.” He said ECOWAS has become a “key diplomatic and political force” in Africa, proving that African solutions through African diplomacy “can and do work.” (Footage by Kwame Adzaho Amenortor /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)