Sierra Leone’s President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has concluded assessment visit aimed to seek firsthand insights into issues in Burkina Faso and the broader Sahel region.
President Bio is currently serving as the United Nations Security Council President for August.
During his stay in Burkina Faso, both President Bio and President Captain Ibrahim Traoré highlighted the significance of supporting Burkina Faso’s people in addressing Sahel region insecurity challenges.
President Bio said his visit was to seek firsthand insights into issues in Burkina Faso and the broader Sahel region. After extensive discussions with President Traoré, President Bio affirmed he now possesses the necessary information as an ECOWAS member.
According to an official statement, the two leaders discussed the tensions undermining the Sahel countries.
At the end of the working visit, Bio and Traore had “fruitful exchanges” on cooperation between the two countries and the security situation in Burkina Faso and in the Sahel, said a statement released by the junta.
Burkina Faso,
Mali and Niger, three West African countries in transition following military coups, formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) last September and withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which had threatened to intervene militarily in their countries following the coup in Niger in July last year.
During his meeting with Troare, Bio said he had “first-hand information on the situation in the Sahel.”
As Sierra Leone presides over the UN Security Council during August, Bio added that “it is important for all parties to fully understand the issues both in Burkina Faso and in the Sahel as a whole.”
Sierra Leone also serves on the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
“Together, and with mutual trust and respect, we will continue these engagements with open minds in order to achieve our shared objective of resolving conflicts and disagreements in our sub-region,” Bio said after meeting Traore.
