Despite overtures from the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), it is unfortunate that Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, have formally withdrawn from the regional bloc. Their exited the economic bloc on January 29, 2025. ECOWAS treaty recommends that member states wishing to withdraw from the organization must give written notice a year in advance, and continue to abide by its provisions during the period.
The trio had announced their intention to quit the organisation in January 2024 after the ECOWAS demanded the restoration of democratic rule in their domains. ECOWAS also suspended them following military coups in Niger in July 2024, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Mali in 2020 and 2021. The organisation had consequently urged them to return to democratic rule. ECOWAS imposed sanctions to make them comply.
The trio later accused ECOWAS of drifting from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism and pandering to foreign powers. They argued: “After 49 years of existence, the brave people of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger note with much regret, bitterness and great disappointment that their organization has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism. ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betrayed its founding principles and has become a threat to its member states and populations whose happiness it supposed to ensure.”
The three countries further alleged that the organisation had not provided assistance to them in the context of their existential war against terrorism and insecurity. They consolidated their exit by forming the Alliance of Sahel States. There is no doubt that the exit of the three nations will hamper their relations with other members of ECOWAS. The exit will affect trade and services in the sub-region and may weaken the $277.22billion trade of the union with the world. Besides, the withdrawal could impact imports and exports in the region, as well as the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Their exit may affect the war on insurgency and bandits in the region. For instance, Nigeria shares a border of about 1,668 kilometres with Niger. The borders are porous and largely unmanned. Without formal institutional frameworks, it may be difficult to check cross-border criminals from these countries.
ECOWAS was formed on May 28, 1975 following the Treaty of Lagos. Its objectives include the provision of economic co-operation among West African states in transport, communication, agriculture, trade industry and liberalization of trade between member states. It also aims to improve relations between the member states; enhance living standards of people in the member states and create a customs union in the region. ECOWAS equally seeks to promote industrial development and cultural interaction among member states. No doubt, the exit of these countries will negatively affect the implementation of these objectives.
To ensure harmonious co-existence within the region, ECOWAS has pledged its readiness for further negotiations with the trio, requesting member nations to continue to accord their nationals membership privileges such as free movement within the region with an ECOWAS passport. The European Union (EU) has also enjoined ECOWAS to adopt a new approach in its dealings with the trio. We commend ECOWAS leadership for its maturity in handling the situation.
ECOWAS should open dialogue with the trio with a view of bringing them back to the organization. Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso were not the first to have exited the ECOWAS. Mauritania had quit the community and later sought a level of cooperation with some member states. The exit of the trio will neither benefit them nor ECOWAS. There is more to gain if ECOWAS remains intact. This is the time to apply more tact and diplomacy in resolving the matter. Let ECOWAS engage the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. We equally urge the leaders of the three countries to reconsider their stand.
The exit of the trio may lead to the suspension of all ECOWAS projects and programmes worth more than $500 million in their domains. Also, various regional projects being executed by the region’s financial institutions, worth about $321.6 million may be halted, while they may be exited from the regional electricity market, known as the West African Power Pool project. In addition, citizens of the countries, who are employees of the ECOWAS, will lose their jobs in the community.
The trio should realize that they will gain more as members of the organisation. Henceforth, ECOWAS should be more diplomatic in interfering in the internal affairs of its member states. Leaders of ECOWAS member states must ensure good governance and rule of law in their domains. That way, sustainable democracy will be enthroned.