Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger’s military regimes have collectively declared their prompt withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
This announcement was delivered via a joint statement aired on Niger national television.
Colonel Amadou Abdramane, spokesperson for the Niger junta, emphasized the “sovereign decision” to exit ECOWAS, attributing the move to the organization’s departure from the principles of its founders and the Pan-African spirit.
Abdramane highlighted ECOWAS’s failure to support the three Sahel nations in their crucial battle against terrorism and insecurity.
Expressing their disappointment after 49 years of association, the military leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger pointed out ECOWAS’s inability to aid them despite a mutual defence pact signed in September 2023.
The pact, known as the Alliance of Sahel States, binds the nations to support each other, including militarily, in the face of armed rebellion or external aggression.
Mali’s military leader, Assimi Goita, took to social media, stating, “I have today signed with the Heads of State of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, with the aim of establishing a collective defence and mutual assistance framework.”
This development follows ECOWAS’s imposition of sanctions on Niger and the threat of military action after a coup in July.
