- Recall that the juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger had in January this year withdrew from and sever ties with the regional economic body.
After months of diplomatic standoff, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic will cease being members of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, from 2025.
President of ECOWAS commission, Alieu Touray, disclosed this on Sunday at the 66th ordinary session of heads of states and governments in Abuja.
Recall that the juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger had in January this year withdrew from and sever ties with the regional economic body.
Prior to the withdrawal, the trio were suspended from ECOWAS, with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions.
However, Touray said ECOWAS has now set the countries’ exit at January 29, 2025 – July 29, 2025.
The ECOWAS president said the timeframe would allow for last mediations and any diplomatic interventions.
The development comes after the military-led governments of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced their decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, describing the move as “irreversible.”
The three countries, in a joint statement, accused ECOWAS of serving the interests of France, their former colonial power and pledged to chart a new path for their citizens.
The announcement precedes a key ECOWAS summit scheduled for Sunday, where regional leaders had hoped to negotiate a resolution to retain the three nations within the bloc
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