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Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger exit ECOWAS after expiry of notice

The three West African countries gave notice to exit the bloc last year

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have officially exited the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following the expiry of one of their year notice.

The three West African countries gave notice to exit the bloc last year citing ECOWAS’ over-involvement and increasing ties with France.

In acknowledging the exit of the three, ECOWAS founding father Yakubu Gowan asked the bloc member states to continue recognizing national passports and identity cards of Citizens from the three countries as long as they have the ECOWAS logo.

He also called for the continued treatment of goods and services from these countries in line with the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and investment policy.

To ensure ongoing cooperation between the remaining members and the three departing nations, the founding father said citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger will continue enjoying the right of visa-free movement, residence, and establishment in other ECOWAS countries until further notice.

In the statement, Gowan emphasized that the arrangements would remain in place until the full determination of future engagements with the three countries.

“The commission has set up a structure to facilitate discussions on these modalities with each of the three countries,” he said in the statement.

The regional bloc reassured the public that these steps were necessary to avoid confusion and disruptions during the transition period.

The departure of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger has fractured the regional bloc, leaving ECOWAS with an uncertain future.

The bloc has historically been a key player in regional security and economic cooperation, and it now faces the challenge of adjusting to this new alignment in West Africa.

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The three departing countries have also made it clear that they no longer wish to align themselves with the ECOWAS model, which they view as too reliant on foreign powers and not focused enough on the needs of the Sahel region.

In Niger’s capital, Niamey, thousands of people, led by members of the military regime, gathered to mark the formal departure from ECOWAS.

The military junta, which took power in a coup earlier in 2024, has shown strong support for the exit and continues to seek closer ties with countries outside of ECOWAS’ influence.

 

 

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