Three West African countries, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will be leaving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with immediate effect.
The trio led by military governments made their decision known in a statement.
“After 49 years, the valiant peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger regretfully and with great disappointment observe that the (ECOWAS) organization has drifted from the ideals of its founding fathers and the spirit of Pan-Africanism,” the countries said in a joint statement issued on Sunday, January 28, 2024." Statement said.
The three countries were earlier suspended from ECOWAS following the coups and refusal to adhere to a directive from the regional body to return to civilian rule.
“Indeed, the organization has not provided assistance to our States in the context of our existential fight against terrorism and insecurity; worse, when these States decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture by imposing illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of its own texts; all things which have further weakened populations already bruised by years of violence imposed by instrumentalized and remote-controlled terrorist hordes.” A portion of the statement reads
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