01/28/2024 10:07 pm (current 01/28/2024 10:10 pm)
Protest against ECOWAS in Mali in mid-January ©APA/AFP
The coup-controlled states of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced on Sunday that they would immediately withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The reason for the change was that ECOWAS was under the influence of foreign powers, which threatened ECOWAS member states. ECOWAS countries also imposed irrational and illegal sanctions that violated their own principles, he said.
There was a military coup in Niger on 26 July, after which ECOWAS imposed sanctions and threatened military action. The neighboring countries of Burkina Faso and Mali are also ruled by the military after the overthrow of the government and are suspended from ECOWAS. In September, the three governments came together to form an alliance of Sahel states. The agreement allows for mutual military assistance. It is also about taking joint measures against “terrorist groups” and ensuring the security of the country’s borders.
Despite several attempts to negotiate the readmission of the coup countries into the economic community, relations between ECOWAS and the three military governments continued to deteriorate.
ECOWAS is made up of 15 Member States, making it one of the largest regional economic communities in Africa. Its aim is to promote economic cooperation between Member States in order to improve living standards. Since the military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and, more recently, Niger, relations with the three countries have been very tense. They are increasingly turning to Russia.