Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso’s Military Leaders Announce Decision To Leave ECOWAS
In a joint announcement, the military leaders of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have declared their immediate withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The decision was announced in a joint statement on January 28, 2023, by all three nations who are currently under military rule following coups that ousted civilian leaders.
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Colonel Amadou Abdramane, spokesperson for the Niger junta, expressed disappointment in ECOWAS, stating, “After 49 years, the valiant peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger regretfully and with great disappointment observe that the (ECOWAS) organization has drifted from the ideals of its founding fathers and the spirit of Pan-Africanism.”
Following the coups, the three countries were suspended from ECOWAS, and relations with the regional bloc have been strained for months. Abdramane pointed out that ECOWAS failed to assist the states in their fight against terrorism and insecurity, a major concern for the nations.
Last year, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso withdrew from the G5 international force, designed to combat Islamists in the Sahel region, and formed their own Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
In December, at a summit in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, West African leaders demanded a “short” transition toward civilian rule in coup-hit Niger before considering easing economic sanctions.
Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in July 2023, and the junta proposed a three-year timeline for the return to civilian rule.
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Mali experienced two coups, with the last civilian rule in place before the first coup in August 2020. Burkina Faso witnessed the overthrow of its elected government in 2022.
While Burkina Faso has not faced sanctions, Captain Ibrahim Traore, the current ruler, emphasized the priority of the fight against insurgents and allowed elections to take place this summer.
