Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger exit ECOWAS
The military administrations in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger declared their swift departure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday.
Describing it as a “sovereign decision,” leaders of these Sahel nations cited ongoing tensions with ECOWAS since coups unfolded in Burkina Faso in 2022, Mali in 2020, and Niger last July.
Facing insurgency and poverty, the three nations, suspended from ECOWAS with heavy sanctions, solidified their stance by forming an “Alliance of Sahel States” in recent months.
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The withdrawal coincides with growing concerns about the potential southward spread of conflicts to Gulf of Guinea states, including Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Ivory Coast, particularly following France’s military withdrawal from the Sahel region.
Niger’s prime minister, appointed by the military regime, criticised ECOWAS for “bad faith” after the bloc largely avoided a planned meeting in Niamey.
The meeting was anticipated as an opportunity for dialogue amid Niamey’s isolation and severe economic and financial sanctions imposed by ECOWAS following the military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
