ABIDJAN – The withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) takes effect tomorrow after a year of political tensions, fracturing the region and leaving the bloc with an uncertain future.

On 29 January 2024, the three countries, led by military regimes, formally notified ECOWAS of their desire for “immediate” withdrawal. 

However, the texts of the West African organisation required one year’s notice for them to be effective.

This will happen tomorrow, all three countries having ignored ECOWAS’ call to extend the period by six months to try to find a solution.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are now united in a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Their military rulers accuse ECOWAS of having imposed “inhuman, illegal and illegitimate” sanctions against them after the coups that brought them to power.

They believe that the West African organisation has not helped them enough to fight jihadist violence. 

ECOWAS is subservient to their former colonial ruler, France.

Paris has become the common enemy of these juntas, which now favour partnerships with countries such as Russia, Turkey and Iran.

The rupture was sparked by the July 2023 coup in Niger. 

ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily to reinstate the deposed president, imposing heavy economic sanctions on Niamey, which have now been lifted.

The three countries will put their own common passport into circulation, and have announced a unified army of 5 000 men to fight the jihadists soon.

The loss of three founding members will “weaken ECOWAS’ ability to regulate political crises in the regional area”, Gilles Yabi, founder of the West African think tank Wathi, told AFP.

The AES and some ECOWAS countries are now at loggerheads. 

Niger refuses to open its border with Benin, which it accuses of hosting bases where the jihadists train.

It furthermore accused its Nigerian neighbour of “serving as a rear base” to “destabilise” it.

Both countries deny the accusations of their landlocked neighbour.  – Nampa/AFP