The African Union’s Special Representative for Mali and the Sahel, Mamadou Tangara, has held talks with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, as regional institutions seek closer cooperation on security and development challenges in West Africa and the Sahel.
Tangara, who also heads the MISAHEL, paid a courtesy call on Touray on Friday, 6 March 2026, at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Asokoro, Abuja.
The visit, officials said, formed part of ongoing efforts to reinforce collaboration between the African Union and ECOWAS in addressing persistent regional challenges, particularly in the Sahel where security and governance concerns remain central to policy discussions.
Tangara was accompanied by the High Commissioner of The Gambia to ECOWAS and Nigeria.
During the meeting, both sides highlighted the need for sustained partnership among African states and their partners to tackle shared regional challenges while advancing development objectives.
Touray acknowledged the continued engagement between ECOWAS and the African Union and reiterated the Commission’s commitment to strengthening institutional coordination with the AU in promoting peace, security and democratic governance across the region.
Tangara, on his part, stressed the importance of maintaining close coordination between continental and regional mechanisms to support peacebuilding, conflict prevention and development initiatives across the Sahel.
The engagement reflects continuing diplomatic consultations between regional and continental institutions as they seek coordinated responses to the evolving political and security dynamics across West Africa and the Sahel.
