269 Scenes
PH:DR: Dr. Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS
The Task Force on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme welcomes the Summit talks between Benin and Niger to promote the free movement of people and goods between the two States.
The Chairman of the Task Force on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (SLE) established to ensure the free movement of people and goods throughout the region, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS, is paying close attention to the -efforts made by the two previous Presidents. of Benin, HE Nicéphore SOGLO and HE Thomas Boni YAYI, to normalize the free movement of people and goods between Benin and Niger, suspended from July 2023.
It should be remembered that when the two former Presidents visited Niamey recently, His Excellency General Abdourahmane, Head of State of Niger gave them a solemn audience. At this time, the two parties discussed in depth the ways to get out of the crisis between Benin and Niger, united by history, geography and numbers. After this high-level mediation, the Republic of Niger visited Benin, with a high-level delegation, led by the Minister of the Interior, General Mohamed Toumba.
It is in this same African brotherhood that he has the President of the Republic of Benin
President His Excellency Patrice Talon gave the Nigerien delegation, together with the two former Presidents of Benin, a solemn audience. The parties had very good discussions about ways to solve the crisis between the two brotherly countries.
In view of the mandate given by the Conference of Heads of State and Government to the Task Force in promoting the free movement of people and goods, I would like, on behalf of the Task Force on the SLE, to welcome the constructive initiative of the two former Presidents of Benin, and the spirit of openness shown by the Presidents of the Republic of Benin and Niger.
We note the fruitful consultations that took place in Niamey and note the bilateral visit to Cotonou by General Toumba, Minister of the Interior of Niger, with special thanks to the a warm welcome given by HE President Patrice Talon to the Nigerien delegation.
The SLE Task Force welcomes the spirit of good community shown by both parties and encourages them to resolve any dispute through dialogue and within the framework of African brotherhood. We urge them to act quickly to reopen their common border, to relieve the suffering of populations, border communities, cross-border transporters, traders and travelers, in the spirit of good neighborliness, solidarity and pan-African integration.
As a reminder, the Task Force on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (TF/SLE) was created by the implementation of Regulation PC/REG 01/11/15 on November 25, 2015. It is an ad hoc advisory body which is placed under the authority of the Government of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, with the intention of ensuring the effectiveness of the free movement of people and goods in the community area, in particular through the mediation and settlement of disputes between Member States as well as the application and inter- mediation by the high political authorities of the States.
