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…Say ECOWAS has become a threat to its member states, populations
From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The trio of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, have pulled out of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
In a statement issued yesterday, the three countries said that eager to achieve integration between the states of the sub-region and driven by the ideals of fraternity, solidarity, mutual aid, peace and development, their Excellencies, General Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana, General Moussa Traoré and Lieutenant Colonel Seyni Kountché, respectively Heads of State of Upper Volta (currently Burkina Faso), Mali and Niger, created with twelve (12) of their peers, on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, the Economic Community of West African States.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger however said that 49 years of existence, the valiant people of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, noted with much regret, bitterness and great disappointment that their organization has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism.
The three countries further said ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to its member states and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure.
“Indeed, the organization has not provided assistance to our states as part of our existential fight against terrorism and insecurity; worse, when these states decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture by imposing illicit, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of its own texts; all things which have further weakened populations already damaged by years of violence imposed by instrumentalized and remote-controlled terrorist hordes,” the countries said.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger concluded that faced with the continuing situation, their Excellencies, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Colonel Assimi Goita and Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, respectively Heads of State of Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger, taking all their responsibilities before history and responding to the expectations, concerns and aspirations of their populations, decided in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States.
