West African countries that had imposed travel restrictions to combat the spread of Covid-19 are contemplating coordinating efforts to allow travelers from countries within the region to enter to conduct cross-border trade.
In a video meeting with the 15-member regional bloc Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) foreign and trade ministers, a new proposal was tabled to allow cross-border trade within the country bloc by the first two weeks in July.
The ministers' proposal is a three-phased solution that will be discussed at the next heads of state ECOWAS summit.
For the next phase, land, sea, and air borders within the 15-country bloc would be open by 15 July.
Phase three would allow the region to open to outside countries "with low and controlled levels of Covid-19 contamination rates" by 31 July, but this would depend on how the pandemic plays out.
