The heads of State of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have announced the immediate withdrawal of their countries from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
The three countries accuse ECOWAS of deviating from its founding principles of brotherhood, solidarity and mutual aid and allowing foreign powers to meddle in its affairs.
They also criticised the ECOWAS leadership for the sanctions imposed on them as part of efforts to reverse the military coups in their countries and establish democracy.
A statement by the heads of state partly reads, “Their Excellencies, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Colonel Assimi Goïta and Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, respectively Heads of State of Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger, taking all their responsibilities in the face of history and responding to the expectations, concerns and aspirations of their populations, decide in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States.”
The regimes of these countries have had tense ties with ECOWAS since coups occurred in Mali in 2020, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in July 2023.
All three have been suspended from ECOWAS with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions which would be relaxed if democratic rule is restored in the member nations.
Reacting to the viral withdrawal notice, ECOWAS said, on Sunday, that it has yet to receive a formal notification of withdrawal from the three member states “about their intention to withdraw from the community.”
“The ECOWAS Commission, as directed by the Authority of Heads of State and Government, has been working assiduously for the restoration of constitutional order in those countries,” it added.
“Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali remain important members of the community and the authority remains committed to finding a negotiated solution to their political impasses.”
However, the bloc says it “shall make further pronouncements” on the development “as the situation evolves.”
