Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic will officially cease to be members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from 2025.
This announcement was made by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Alieu Touray, during the 66th ordinary session of heads of states and governments in Abuja on Sunday.
The decision comes after the military regimes in the three countries announced their immediate withdrawal from ECOWAS in January this year, citing the organization’s alleged bias towards France, their former colonial power.
Prior to their withdrawal, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger were suspended from ECOWAS, with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions.
According to Touray, the exit of the three countries has been set for January 29, 2025 – July 29, 2025, to allow for last-minute mediations and diplomatic interventions.
The development precedes a key ECOWAS summit where regional leaders had hoped to negotiate a resolution to retain the three nations within the bloc.
The joint statement issued by the three countries described their decision to withdraw from ECOWAS as “irreversible,” accusing the organization of serving the interests of France and pledging to chart a new path for their citizens.
With their exit from ECOWAS imminent, the three countries are set to forge their own path, separate from the regional economic community.
