Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger agree to ECOWAS withdrawal grace period. political news
The Economic Community of West African States hopes to use this time to persuade the three countries to remain in the bloc.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger will get a six-month grace period following their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which is scheduled for January 29, a year after the countries announced their intention to leave.
The decision, taken at a summit of West Africa’s main political and economic grouping in the Nigerian capital Abuja this weekend, was seen as a last-ditch effort to stop the three countries from leaving, a move the bloc has so far been unable to stop. Used to be. , Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger reaffirmed that their decision to leave is “irreversible”.
Three countries based in the insurgency-hit Central Sahel region have formed their own grouping called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The new effective departure date has now been extended to July 29, although January 29 will still be the official return date. The bloc hopes to use the six-month transition period to persuade countries to return.
On Saturday, the three countries said their territories would remain visa-free for all ECOWAS citizens following the exit. The move eases concerns that their departure could threaten free trade and movement for the 400 million people who live across the region.
Among those attending the summit were Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who has acted as a mediator between the 15-member bloc and the three breakaway countries.
Senegal’s president, who was appointed to lead the talks in July, said he was “making progress” in talks with the three countries and said there was a risk of not maintaining relations amid ongoing security concerns in the region. There is no reason why al-Qaeda and ISIL have gained the upper hand.
The withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS would mark the culmination of a tumultuous period for the Sahel, where a series of coups since 2020 have brought military officials to power. The new governments have forged closer ties with Russia at the expense of its former colonial ruler, France, and other allies in the region and beyond.
