President Buhari in a virtual ECOWAS extraordinary session on Mali. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. AUGUST 28 2020

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru – Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday participated in the second virtual extraordinary summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on the sociopolitical situation in Mali.

All the presidents in the ECOWAS are present, alongside the ECOWAS President, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou.

The meeting is expected to proffer a lasting solution to the political instability in Mali.

Recall that the government of President Ibrahim Keita was recently toppled in a bloodless coup, earning the country sanctions from ECOWAS and other international organisations.

The military junta in place requested for a three-year term in office after which it would return the country to civilian rule.

There has not been a response to this request yet from ECOWAS, but it is expected that this will be discussed at this extraordinary summit.

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The ECOWAS leaders had initially pressed for the reinstatement of the ousted President but he has ruled out the possibility of going back to office.

Those physically present at the Executive Council chamber of the State House, where President Buhari is joining the summit from, include the Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyema, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada.

Others are the Minister of Defence Major General Bashir Magashi; Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari; National Security Adviser, NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno; (retd) and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar.

Vanguard News Nigeria.