Rita Odafe
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are set to officially exit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2025.
This announcement was made by Alieu Touray, the ECOWAS commission president, during the 66th ordinary session of heads of states and governments held in Abuja on Sunday.
Earlier this year, military administrations in these three countries declared their intent to leave ECOWAS immediately.
Before their departure, the countries were suspended from the organization, with Niger and Mali facing significant penalties.
Touray specified that the withdrawal will take effect from January 29 to July 29, 2025, allowing time for potential diplomatic negotiations.
The decision follows a statement from the military governments of these nations, who branded their exit from ECOWAS as “irreversible” and accused the organization of catering to French interests, their former colonial power. They expressed a commitment to finding a new direction for their nations.
This announcement comes just before an important ECOWAS summit, where regional leaders intended to discuss solutions to retain these countries within the bloc.
