Tag: ECOWAS

  • Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso formally leave ECOWAS regional bloc


    ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The junta-led West African nations of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have formally withdrawn from the regional bloc known as ECOWAS, the body said Wednesday.

    The previously announced withdrawal, which marks the culmination of a yearlong process during which the group tried to avert an unprecedented disintegration, “has become effective today,” ECOWAS said in a statement.

    The bloc, however, said that it has also decided to “keep ECOWAS’ doors open,” and requested member nations to continue to accord the trio their membership privileges, including free movement within the region with an ECOWAS passport.

    ECOWAS president Omar Alieu Touray told reporters in Nigeria’s capital Abuja that despite the split, the bloc hopes to still collaborate with the countries in tackling some of the region’s challenges, including the deadly extremist violence ripping through the region.

    The split “worsens a legitimacy crisis of ECOWAS which has often failed people’s expectations in upholding the rule of law,” said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

    “That the three poorest member states decided to leave the bloc makes ECOWAS in the eyes of its citizens look even more like a loser in this conflict,” he said.

    Widely seen as West Africa’s leading political and regional authority, the 15-nation ECOWAS was formed in 1975 to “promote economic integration” in member states. It has struggled in recent years to reverse coups in the region where citizens have complained of not benefitting from rich natural resources.

    The bloc has since grown to become the region’s top political authority, often collaborating with states to solve domestic challenges on various fronts from politics to economics and security.

    In parts of West Africa, however, ECOWAS has lost its effectiveness and support among citizens, who see it as representing only the interests of the leaders and not that of the masses, said Oge Onubogu, director of the Africa Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center think tank.

    After coming into power, the juntas in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announced that they were leaving ECOWAS. They then created their own security partnership known as the Alliance of Sahel States, severed military ties with longstanding Western partners such as U.S. and France, and turned to Russia for military support.

    It’s the first time in the bloc’s half-century of existence that its members have withdrawn in such a manner. Analysts say it’s an unprecedented blow to the group that could threaten efforts to return democracy and help stabilize the increasingly fragile region.

    ECOWAS said that its members were also required to treat goods and services coming from the three countries in accordance with ECOWAS regulations and provide full support and cooperation to ECOWAS officials from the countries during their assignments.

    —-

    Associated Press journalist Dyepkazah Shibayan in Abuja contributed.





    In a historic decision, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have officially announced their decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc. This move comes after months of deliberation and discussions among the three countries, citing various reasons for their departure.

    Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of ECOWAS and believe that they can better address their economic and security challenges outside of the regional bloc. The three countries have also highlighted concerns about the lack of solidarity and support from other member states, particularly in addressing the growing threats of terrorism and instability in the region.

    Despite this decision, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have reiterated their commitment to regional cooperation and have expressed their willingness to engage with ECOWAS on a bilateral basis. The three countries have emphasized the importance of maintaining strong ties with their neighboring countries and working together to promote peace, security, and development in West Africa.

    As Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso embark on this new chapter outside of ECOWAS, it remains to be seen how this decision will impact the regional dynamics and cooperation in West Africa. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.

    Tags:

    1. Niger
    2. Mali
    3. Burkina Faso
    4. ECOWAS
    5. Regional bloc
    6. West Africa
    7. Economic Community of West African States
    8. Member states
    9. African politics
    10. International relations

    #Niger #Mali #Burkina #Faso #formally #leave #ECOWAS #regional #bloc

  • Three Countries Officially Quit Major West African ECOWAS Alliance


    Three military-ruled countries have officially withdrawn from the West African regional alliance known as ECOWAS, the bloc said on Wednesday, defying pressure from the group to return the countries to civilian democratic rule.

    The alliance, the Economic Community of West African States, offers its members visa-free travel, favorable trade tariffs and access to a $702 billion market for the region’s 400 million people. The three nations — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — announced their intention to leave last year.

    Negotiations between their leaders and the bloc then failed to reach an agreement that would keep them in. Instead, the three juntas are forging ahead with their own grouping, the Alliance of Sahelian States, A.E.S. by its French acronym, and have created a military force of 5,000 troops.

    The three juntas presented their exit as essential for their sovereignty and portrayed the alliance as a neocolonialist force carrying out a foreign agenda.

    “ECOWAS and the jihadists are the same,” Assimi Goïta, Mali’s president, said on Jan. 10, referring to the extremists who have destabilized a vast area of the Sahel, the arid belt that stretches coast to coast below the Sahara. “The only difference is that some carry weapons and others do not.”

    Their withdrawal will weaken ECOWAS, which celebrates its 50th year this May and had 16 members at its founding. It will now have only 12: Mauritania left in 2000. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, though not the most populous or economically strong countries in the region, account for more than half the alliance’s 1.9 million square miles and 17 percent of its 400 million population.

    The alliance said in a statement that it would leave the doors open for the juntas to return.

    But analysts say that the three exiting countries stand to suffer the most, including through higher prices, shortages of food supplies and political isolation.

    Niger shares a 1,000-mile border with Nigeria and relies on its much richer and populous neighbor for 80 percent of its trade. Relations have become strained in recent months: Niger has accused Nigeria, whose president is the current chair of ECOWAS, of supporting jihadist groups to attack it.

    Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso account for half of the world’s terrorism-related deaths, and the region overtook the Middle East last year to become the global epicenter of terrorism, according to a recent report by Global Terrorism Index. Some of the military juntas used the insecurity as a justification for seizing power, even though attacks have increased under their rule.

    ECOWAS responded to the coups with biting economic sanctions, and it has threatened a military intervention to restore civilian rule in Niger. But it was accused of having double standards for not punishing civilian leaders who cause political instability by postponing elections or changing their country’s constitutions to stay in power longer.

    A wave of coups has hit Africa in recent years, with nine military takeovers from 2020 to 2023 — a number unseen in decades. Most of them have been in West Africa.

    In Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the juntas refused to yield to ECOWAS’s demands to hand over power. The sanctions, which were backed by Britain, the European Union and the United States, were eventually lifted, and the alliance tried to push for dialogue with the three countries, but the juntas were not persuaded.

    “They want to be let alone, not to be dictated how to run their countries or to be forced to hold elections,” Fahiraman Rodrigue Koné, the Sahel project manager at the Institute for Security Studies, a regional think tank, said in a telephone interview.

    The three juntas have lately severed ties with some of their key traditional partners, ending military cooperation with France and the United States, and imposing new mining laws and taxes to maximize revenue from their ailing economies.

    They have strengthened their cooperation with Russia, which provides them with weapons and mercenaries. And they have secured new contracts for China to run mining operations that were previously controlled by Western companies and to supply arms, according to local media outlets. Turkey, offering itself as an alternative, has also provided drones and mercenaries to Niger, state media said.

    On Tuesday, protesters took to the streets in the three exiting countries’ capitals to celebrate the withdrawal. But analysts said that most people in these countries did not support the juntas’ decision to leave.

    “Critical voices are suppressed,” said Gilles Yabi, the founder and executive director of the West Africa Citizen Think Tank.

    Across the three countries, the human rights situation has sharply deteriorated, with thousands of civilians killed by the military and state-backed militias last year alone, according to rights groups.

    But the Sahelian juntas have lately become somewhat less isolated. Ghana’s new president has appointed a special envoy to their new alliance, and Togo has signaled that it may apply for membership.



    In a surprising turn of events, three countries have officially announced their decision to quit the major West African Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) alliance. This move has sparked debate and speculation about the future of regional cooperation in the area.

    The countries in question, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal, have cited a variety of reasons for their decision to withdraw from ECOWAS. Some officials have pointed to concerns about the alliance’s effectiveness in addressing regional security threats, while others have expressed frustration with the lack of progress on economic integration and development initiatives.

    The departure of these key players from ECOWAS is sure to have significant implications for the region. Many are questioning whether other member states will follow suit, and what this could mean for the future of cooperation and unity in West Africa.

    As the situation continues to unfold, it is clear that the dynamics of regional politics in West Africa are undergoing a major shift. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.

    Tags:

    1. West African ECOWAS Alliance
    2. West African countries
    3. ECOWAS membership withdrawal
    4. African political news
    5. African intergovernmental organization
    6. Economic Community of West African States
    7. West African integration
    8. African regional cooperation
    9. West African diplomatic relations
    10. ECOWAS member states

    #Countries #Officially #Quit #Major #West #African #ECOWAS #Alliance