ECOWAS Provides Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger with a Six-Month Reconsideration Period for Withdrawal
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Abuja, Dec 16 (NationPress) The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has provided Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger with a six-month period from January 29 to July 29, 2025, to reassess their choice to exit the regional organization.
During a press briefing following the 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in Abuja, Omar Touray, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, stated that the six-month period is intended as a transitional phase, allowing the bloc to keep its doors open for the three nations.
"The authority acknowledges that according to the provisions of Article 91 of the revised ECOWAS Treaty, the three nations will officially cease to be members of ECOWAS starting January 29, 2025," Touray remarked.
"In this context, the authority has extended the mandate of the president of Togo and the president of Senegal to maintain their mediation role until the end of the transitional phase, aiming to facilitate the return of these three member states to ECOWAS," he added.
Touray noted that ECOWAS leaders at the ordinary summit expressed appreciation for the "exemplary diplomatic engagement" of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal and President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, along with the diplomatic initiatives of the chairman of the authority of ECOWAS, President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, and other individual member countries concerning the trio.
Moreover, Touray indicated that an extraordinary session of the council of ministers has been scheduled for the second quarter of 2025 to evaluate and adopt both separation modalities and a contingency plan addressing political and economic relations between ECOWAS and the three nations.
Meanwhile, Touray lauded regional leaders for their collective commitment to tackling the region's urgent challenges. He also encouraged them to uphold the optimism and determination that have characterized their discussions, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
"Together, let us persist in advocating for a peaceful, secure, and prosperous West Africa, striving to transform ECOWAS into a community of peoples committed to the principles of freedom, justice, democracy, and a vision of good governance that addresses the legitimate aspirations of our citizens," Tinubu stated.
On January 28, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger jointly announced their intention to withdraw from ECOWAS in response to earlier sanctions imposed by the bloc, aimed at pressuring military governments in these nations to restore constitutional order.
This declaration raised concerns among ECOWAS members, whose headquarters are in Abuja, leading to the eventual lifting of the sanctions.
Last Wednesday, Tinubu informed visiting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Abuja that the interests and welfare of the citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger continue to be a priority for ECOWAS leaders, assuring that diplomacy and wisdom will guide their efforts to reintegrate these countries into the bloc.
Founded in 1975, ECOWAS aims to promote economic integration across various fields, including industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial issues, as well as social and cultural affairs.
