Three military -operated states leave West African blocks – what will change?

Under the military rule, three countries have officially abandoned the West African Regional Block Ikovas after more than one year of diplomatic tension.

The return of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger is a huge blow to Ecovas, which is considered the most important regional group of Africa at the age of 50.

The three -departed countries divided after denying the demands of Ecowas to restore diplomatic rule.

On Wednesday, Ecowas stated that this gardener will keep its “doors open” for Burkina Faso and Niger, even if they have carried forward with their own blocks, coalitions of Sahel states (its French abbreviated by AES).

Ecowas – which stands for the economic community of West African states – was established in 1975 to improve economic and political integration in West Africa.

Prior to Wednesday’s shake-up, there were 15 members in the block, including states such as Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal.

Citizens of all Ecowas countries currently have the right to live and work in all member states, while goods can be broadcast independently.

The relationship between Ecowas and three Sahel countries has been tense since capturing military power in Niger in 2023, Burkina Faso in 2022 and gardeners in 2020.

After the Niger coup, Ecowas imposed crapping restrictions on the country, such as the border closed, a no-fly zone for all commercial flights and the cold of central bank assets.

Ecowas also threatened Niger to deploy his army to restore democratic rule.

But this hard line strengthened the resolve of only three poultry.

Mali and Burkina Faso criticized Ecovas’ inhuman “sanctions and vowed to protect Niger if the block military intervened.

After being suspended by ECOWAS, the three states gave notice back last January to withdraw in a year that they will withdraw the timeline set by the BLOC for the states deciding to leave.

The conversation between Ecowas and Juntas has been since – but failed.

The three countries have accused Ecowas of being very close to Western powers and instead they have been extended towards Russia.

According to the departure countries, they will now experience more sovereignty and will also experience freedom with one force, with a foreign agenda.

But analysts say that Niger, Mali and Burkina can struggle outside Faso blocks – these are poor and landslide countries whose economies depend on their West African neighbors.

While Ecowas acts the terms of its future relationship with three countries, it says that it will continue to recognize all the passports and identity cards affecting the Ecowas logo organized by the Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso citizens.

The country will also be in the free-trade scheme of the block.

Similarly, AES President, Mali’s military ruler ASIMI GoATA said last January that the rights of ECOVS citizens would be maintained for “entering, broadcasting, residing, and leaving the area”.

Ilyas Gadu, an international affairs specialist and media advisor located in Abuja, the Nigeria capital, told the BBC, “Three Juti leaders have taken steps to say: ‘Yes, we are coming out of Ecovas but we create our relationships Want to keep our boundaries.

West African observers are also worried that return to the region will spoil security. Sahel – South of Sahara Desert, a semi -male region, which includes three late countries – is erased with jihadi rebels and now “about half of all deaths from terrorism globally”, A. Senior UN official said in April,

Ecowas was supporting the gardener, Burkina Faso and Niger in his fight against jihadis, but this help can now save, supervisors fear.

Although now the jants get weapons and mercenaries from Russia, both terrorist citizens and armed forces have a massive casualties.

Ecowas will lose more than half of its 446 million people and more than half of its total geographical land area.

There is also a concern that the return will weaken both regional unity and cooperation in combating the rebels.

A validity crisis of Split “Ecowas deteriorates, which often fails people’s expectations in maintaining the rule of law,” said Ulf Lessing, head of the Sahel program at the Conrad Adenocar Foundation. associated Press,

“Three poor member states decided to leave the block, which makes Ekovas in the eyes of its citizens who look like a loser in this struggle.”

On Tuesday, some people in the capitals of three departed countries took some people to the streets to celebrate the return.

But not everyone supports the decisions of Juntas.

Niger’s Umar Hamma said that he wants three countries to remain in Ekovas, as well as related to AES.

“I preferred them to remove their differences because we have a normal place, similar people with historical similarities and similar economic realities,” he told the BBC.

A journalist and blogger Fetauma, who lives in Mali, is worried that the change can eventually cause administrative and financial troubles for him and other citizens of three countries.

“However, if the alliance of Sahel States (AES) can really gain a profit for us, it would be an excellent thing,” he said.

Zebiru Isa, who lives in Bamco, the capital of Mali, took a strong stand and said: “Ikova has no power, these are Western people who decide for Ikovas leaders. Yes, I am very happy about the decision. “

In Ogadougau, the capital of Burkina Faso, Sissy Kabor told the BBC that she wanted her country to be in Ecovas because now the region would “be united as before”.

Last month, Ecowas said it would give a six -month blessing to rethink Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali by six months of grace.

However, at a press conference on Wednesday, Ecowas Commission chief Omar Aliu Tour said: “Any state can decide to return to the community at any time.”

To strengthen their exit from Ecowas and strengthen their alliance, the three countries said they would start broadcasting the new AES passports on Wednesday.

He has decided to join the army to create a 5,000-fierce military unit to fight the jihadi violence, harassing nations over the years.