NIAMEY: Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali on Sunday announced their withdrawal from the West African subregional bloc, ECOWAS.
The West African nations are currently led by militaries following coups that ousted the civilian leadership in the countries with Niger being the latest. The juntas in the three states accused ECOWAS of “inhumane” sanctions imposed on them to reverse the military coups.
In a joint statement they said they have decided in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), alleging that the bloc has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism after about fifty years of its establishment.
Moreover, ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to its member countries and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure, the statement added.
The announcement is the latest development following a series of efforts by ECOWAS to return the nations to civilian rule. The bloc has imposed sanctions on the nations following the coups but has sustained talks and demanded transitions to civilian rule.
ECOWAS ministerial mission failed to visit Niamey
An ECOWAS ministerial mission was due to visit Niamey on January 25 but that did not happen.
ECOWAS said in a statement that the community delegation waited the whole of Thursday at the Abuja airport, in readiness to fly to Niamey. Unfortunately, due to technical problems with the aircraft chartered by the Commission, the special flight scheduled to convey the bloc’s delegation could not depart Abuja for Niamey.
The bloc said it regretted the meeting could not happen but was ready to find a new date to send the mission as soon as possible. It added that ECOWAS remains committed to finding a negotiated settlement to the political challenges in the sub-region.
