A potential diplomatic dispute has arisen after Burkina Faso’s military chief, Ibrahim Traoré, revealed that his nation will confer with Mali and Niger before deciding whether to permit Ghanaian traders and other West African people to conduct business in their territories.
He stated that leaders of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali would need to convene before a final decision could be made on the topic.
“We continue to be African. We welcome anyone living in Africa or wanting to travel to Africa. We will determine the appropriate course of action about traders arriving from Ghana, Nigeria, and other West African nations in due course,” he stated.
The three countries formally declared their intention to leave the sub-regional ECOWAS trading group last week.
According to the Ghana Union of Traders (GUTA), this has caused concern for its members who import vegetables and other livestock from Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
Our impact will be greater than that of the other member states from this. As the Union’s president, Dr. Joseph Obeng, told Joy News, “We should find an immediate solution by bypassing the ECOWAS.”
The cross-border trading activities that take place will be adversely affected, he continued. Observe the tomatoes we bring in, the onions we bring from Niger, and the cola nuts we transport to that country.
“Also consider the bulk of things that the Burkinabes come to buy from us [in Ghana] so definitely it’s going to have a negative impact”.
Ibrahim Traore added that the departure from ECOWAS is well thought out. He added, “it’s not a burst of anger. If it was an outburst, we would have done it a long time ago”.
