Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has criticised proposed United States visa restrictions on West African countries, warning that such a policy could significantly hinder trade, diplomacy and regional prosperity.
Speaking yesterday at the opening of the 54th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council at the Ministerial Level in Abuja, Tuggar cautioned that the new restrictions, reportedly affecting all ECOWAS member states, risk weakening US engagement in a region primed for economic and security partnerships.
He described the move as not only diplomatically counterproductive but also an economic setback, describing ECOWAS as rich in critical resources that could bolster global supply chains.
The United States is reportedly considering imposing a new wave of travel bans on several African countries, including Nigeria.
According to a memo, the affected nations, among them Benin, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Liberia, are expected to meet updated requirements from the State Department within 60 days.
The memo cited a lack of reliable civil documentation, weak cooperation with US authorities, and concerns over identity verification as reasons for the move.
TUGGAR spoke just as the President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Commission), Dr Oumar Alieu Touray, lamented that no littoral state was safe from the onslaught of terrorist groups due to the absence of a regional framework for intelligence sharing and regional kinetic force.
Speaking yesterday at the opening of 54th Session of the Mediation and Security Council at the Ministerial Level, Touray said it was the fear of financial implications of counterterrorism funding on the economy of individual member states that delayed the process of counterterrorism in the region.
He urged the committee to critically highlight the cost of inaction to counter terrorist activities on the economies and well-being of citizens. The committee was to review the political and security situations in the region, including trends and developments.
Other areas of focus include update on the transition process in Guinea and the negotiation process between ECOWAS and Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. On the exit of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, Touray said the Commission had started direct talks towards safeguarding the community’s achievements and building a future cooperation in various areas, including security and development.
