On Sunday, the military governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger declared their intention to leave the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, effective immediately.
This was revealed in a joint statement released on Sunday by the leaders of the three Sahelian countries.
The decision to withdraw “without delay” from the Economic Community of West African States was made “sovereignly,” according to the military juntas.
Niger and Mali were subject to severe sanctions, and all three were expelled from ECOWAS.
In light of the most recent events, the juntas have strengthened their stances and come together to form a “Alliance of Sahel States.”
“Niger had hoped for an opportunity to talk through differences with fellow states of ECOWAS, which has cold-shouldered Niamey, imposing heavy economic and financial sanctions following the military coup that overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum.
“After 49 years of existence, the brave people of Burkina, Mali and Niger note with much regret, bitterness and great disappointment that their Organization has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism terrorist hordes.
“Furthermore, ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betrayed its founding principles and has become a threat to its member states and populations whose happiness is supposed to ensure.
“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 texts, all things which have further weakened populations already bruised by years of violence inflicted by instrumentalized and remote-controlled”, the statement read.
