Guinea-Bissau, Mali to dominate 41st ECOWAS Summit

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The political situations in Guinea-Bissau and Mali will dominate discussions at the 41st ordinary summit of the regional bloc ECOWAS, billed to hold Friday in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire, the ECOWAS Commission said.

In a statement made available to PANA here Thursday, the Commission said the summit would be briefed on the current status of the mediation in the Mali crisis by President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, who is the mediator appointed by regional leaders in the wake of the 22 March coup that toppled President Amadou Toumani Toure.

The leaders will also be briefed by the President of the Regional Contact Group on Guinea-Bissau on the developments in that country, where soldiers also truncated the democratic process in April.

West African leaders attending the summit will also consider, among others, the Memorandum by ECOWAS Commission President Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo on the situation in Mali and his Report on Guinea-Bissau.

The summit will also consider the 2012 Interim Report of the President of the Commission, as well as Reports of the 68th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers and the 11th Extraordinary Session of the Council.

Highlights of the summit will include the swearing in of Ambassador Ouédraogo, who assumed duty in March 2012.
-0- PANA SEG 28June2012