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| Photo shows L-R: Leader of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traoré, Mali’s military leader Colonel Assimi Goita and Niger’s General Abdourahmane Tchiani. |
The military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have announced their immediate withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday, January 28, 2024.
The leaders of the three Sahel nations issued a joint statement, citing dissatisfaction with ECOWAS' support in their fight against terrorism and the imposition of sanctions following military takeovers.
The withdrawal comes after the three countries were suspended from ECOWAS and faced heavy sanctions.
The move reflects their hardened positions and the formation of an "Alliance of Sahel" in the face of challenges such as jihadist violence and poverty.
The withdrawal is a significant development in the region's geopolitical landscape.
The leaders of the three Sahel nations issued a statement, saying it was a “sovereign decision” to leave the Economic Community of West African States “without delay.”
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.
A French military withdrawal from the Sahel — the region along the Sahara desert across Africa — has heightened concerns over the conflicts spreading southward to Gulf of Guinea states Ghana, Togo, Benin and Ivory Coast.
The prime minister appointed by Niger’s military regime on Thursday blasted ECOWAS for “bad faith” after the bloc largely shunned a planned meeting in Niamey.
Niger had hoped for an opportunity to talk through differences with fellow states of ECOWAS, which has cold-shouldered Niamey, imposing, instead, heavy economic and financial sanctions following the military coup that overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum.
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