Abuja, Jan 29 The memberships of the three West African countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have been formally withdrawn from the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), one year after the three junta-led nations jointly declared an intention to exit the regional bloc.
The ECOWAS Commission said in a statement that the withdrawal took effect Wednesday. It is a historic exit from the bloc, founded in 1975 to promote economic integration in all economic activities, particularly industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial matters, and social and cultural affairs.
The commission, however, said it had decided "to keep ECOWAS' doors open" in the spirit of "regional solidarity and in the interest of the people." It directed until further notice all relevant authorities within and outside its member states to, among others, recognise national passports and identity cards bearing the ECOWAS logo held by the citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger and continue to treat goods and services coming from the countries per the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme and investment policy.
The commission also directed its organs to allow citizens of the three affected countries to continue to enjoy the right of visa-free movement, residence, and establishment in accordance with the ECOWAS protocols until further notice and fully support and cooperate with ECOWAS officials from the three countries in their assignments for the community.
"These arrangements will be in place until the full determination of the modalities of our future engagement with the countries by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government," the ECOWAS Commission said, adding that it has set up a structure to facilitate discussions on these modalities with each of the three countries, Xinhua news agency reported.
On January 28, 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger jointly declared an intention to withdraw from ECOWAS in response to earlier sanctions imposed by the regional bloc to pressure military juntas in those countries to return to constitutional order. The move sparked concerns among members of ECOWAS, headquartered in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, which later lifted the sanctions.
On December 15, 2024, ECOWAS, at the end of its 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, gave Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger a six-month grace period from January 29 to July 29 this year to reconsider their decision to exit the economic bloc. The decision was to use the six-month grace period as a transitional period and keep the West African bloc's doors open to the three countries during the period, Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, told reporters in Abuja at the time.
"The authority acknowledges that by the provisions of Article 91 of the revised ECOWAS Treaty, the three countries will officially cease to be members of ECOWAS from January 29, 2025," Touray added.
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