Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger will cease to be members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) starting in 2025.
President of ECOWAS commission, Alieu Touray, made the announcement on Sunday during the 66th ordinary session of heads of states and governments in Abuja.
Recall that the military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their immediate withdrawal from the ECOWAS in January this year.
Prior to the withdrawal, the trio were suspended from ECOWAS, with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions.
However, Touray said ECOWAS has now set the countries’ exit at January 29, 2025 – July 29, 2025.
The ECOWAS president said the timeframe would allow for last mediations and any diplomatic interventions.
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The development comes after the military-led governments of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced their decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, describing the move as “irreversible.”
The three countries, in a joint statement, accused ECOWAS of serving the interests of France, their former colonial power and pledged to chart a new path for their citizens.
The announcement precedes a key ECOWAS summit scheduled for Sunday, where regional leaders had hoped to negotiate a resolution to retain the three nations within the bloc.
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