The military governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have declared an immediate withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
In a statement issued on Sunday, the leaders of these Sahel nations said that leaving ECOWAS was a “sovereign decision” to be executed without delay.
The regimes have experienced strained relations with ECOWAS since coups occurred in Niger in July of last year, Burkina Faso in 2022, and Mali in 2020. Following the coups, all three nations faced suspension from ECOWAS, with Niger and Mali enduring substantial sanctions. In recent months, they have solidified their positions and formed an “Alliance of Sahel States.”
The withdrawal of French military forces from the Sahel, the region along the Sahara desert across Africa, has raised concerns about the potential spread of conflicts southward to the Gulf of Guinea states, including Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Ivory Coast.
On Thursday, the prime minister appointed by Niger’s military regime criticized ECOWAS for “bad faith” after the bloc largely avoided a planned meeting in Niamey. Niger had hoped for an opportunity to address differences with fellow ECOWAS member states. However, Niamey faced isolation as ECOWAS imposed severe economic and financial sanctions in response to the military coup that ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum.