The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guteress has commended President Akufo Addo for his efforts to resolve the crises in Mali. Mr Guteress made point when Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey called on him at his office to discuss, among other issues, Ghana’s vision and priorities for her tenure as a prospective non-permanent member of the UN Security Council as well as exchange views on pertinent global challenges, including the situation in the Sahel, particularly Mali.
President Akufo Addo who is Chairman of the Authorities of ECOWAS Heads of States convened an extraordinary summit in Ghana on May 30, 2021 to deliberate on how to handle the issue in Mali following a coup by a military leader, Col Assimi Goita.
Mr. Antonio Guteress was of the view that that “ECOWAS, under the chairmanship of the president of Ghana, had taken the right approach with addressing the conflict in Mali”, which was an immediate suspension from the bloc.
He emphasised that “an all-inclusive Government in Mali should be the target for approaching steps to lasting peace in that country”.
He acknowledged Ghana’s exemplary role in promoting the SDGs with HE President Nana Addo as the co-chair of the Secretary-General’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advocates, while also empathising with the need for solidarity among nations to address the COVID 19 pandemic.
Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey seized the opportunity to brief the Secretary-General on efforts being undertaken by ECOWAS to address the security situation in the Sahel (especially Mali) and the need to have a sustained and comprehensive approach in dealing with the situation.
She said ” Ghana intends to leverage her previous and current experience as the Chair of ECOWAS and an active member of the AU to prioritise on the Council the issues of conflict prevention, post-conflict reconstruction, and the strengthening of partnerships between the UN and regional arrangements in dealing with conflict situations”
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey assured the Secretary-General of Ghana’s continuous commitment to promoting multilateralism as the best means of achieving a safer, peaceful and prosperous world.
Story by Nathaniel Nartey
