The military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced their immediate withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The countries’ military regimes announced withdrawal from the regional bloc on Sunday, Jan. 28, in a joint statement read out on Niger national television.
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”.
“After 49 years, the courageous people of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger express deep disappointment as they observe that the ECOWAS organization has deviated from its founding principles and the spirit of Pan-Africanism,” stated Colonel Amadou Abdramane, spokesperson for the Niger junta.
“The organization notably failed to support these states in their critical fight against terrorism and insecurity,” Abdramane added.
Tensions between the regimes and ECOWAS escalated after coups occurred in Niger in July 2023, Burkina Faso in 2022, and Mali in 2020.
In response to the military coup in Niger, ECOWAS imposed sanctions and threatened military action. All three countries were suspended from ECOWAS, with Niger and Mali facing severe sanctions.
In September 2023, the three nations signed a mutual defense pact known as the Alliance of Sahel States, committing to assisting each other against armed rebellion or external aggression, including military support if any of them faces an attack.
At that time, Mali’s military leader Assimi Goita announced on social media, “I have today signed with the Heads of State of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, with the aim of establishing a collective defense and mutual assistance framework.”
