Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger military juntas announce exit from ECOWAS
…No Formal Notification’, ECOWAS Commission
The military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, on Sunday, announced their immediate withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
The leaders of the three Sahel nations disclosed this in a joint statement on Sunday.
According to the military juntas, it was a “sovereign decision” to leave the Economic Community of West African States “without delay”.
All three were suspended from ECOWAS, with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions.
With the latest development, the juntas have recently hardened their positions and joined forces in an “Alliance of Sahel States”.
“Niger had hoped for an opportunity to talk through differences with fellow states of ECOWAS, which has cold-shouldered Niamey, imposing heavy economic and financial sanctions following the military coup that overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum.
“After 49 years of existence, the brave people of Burkina, Mali and Niger note with much regret, bitterness and great disappointment that their Organization has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism
terrorist hordes.
“Furthermore, ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betrayed its founding principles and has become a threat to its member states and populations whose happiness is supposed to ensure.
“Indeed, the Organization has not provided assistance to our States in the context of our existential fight against terrorism and insecurity; worse, when these States decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture by imposing illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of its texts, all things which have further weakened populations already bruised by years of violence inflicted by instrumentalized and remote-controlled”, the statement read.
‘No Formal Notification’, ECOWAS Commission Speaks On Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Withdrawal
The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it is yet to receive any direct formal notification from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic about their intention to withdraw from the Community.
In a statement on Sunday, the Commission said it has been “working assiduously with these countries for the restoration of constitutional order. Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali remain important members of the Community and the Authority remains committed to finding a negotiated solution to the political impasse”.
“The ECOWAS Commission remains seized with the development and shall
make further pronouncements as the situation evolves,” the statement added.
Struggling with jihadist violence and poverty, the regimes have had tense ties with ECOWAS since coups took place in Niger last July, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Mali in 2020.
All three — founding members of the bloc in 1975 — were suspended from ECOWAS with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions as the bloc tried to push for the early return of civilian governments with elections.
The sanctions were an “irrational and unacceptable posture” at a time when the three “have decided to take their destiny in hand” — a reference to the coups that removed civilian administrations.
The three nations have hardened their positions in recent months and joined forces in an “Alliance of Sahel States”.
The leaders’ joint statement added that 15-member ECOWAS, “under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to member states and peoples”.
