MALI, BURKINA FASO, AND NIGER TO EXIT ECOWAS IN JANUARY 2025
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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic will officially cease to be members of the regional bloc from January 29, 2025.
This decision was made during the 66th ordinary session of heads of states and governments in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
According to Alieu Touray, president of the ECOWAS commission, the authority has taken note of the notification by the three countries of their decision to withdraw from ECOWAS. “The authority acknowledges that in accordance with the provisions of Article 91 of the revised ECOWAS treaty, the three countries will officially cease to be members of ECOWAS from 29 January, 2025,” Touray said.
The ECOWAS president also announced that a transitional period from January 29, 2025, to July 29, 2025, has been set to allow for last-minute mediations and diplomatic interventions. During this period, ECOWAS doors will remain open to the three countries.
Furthermore, the authority has extended the mandate of President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal to continue their mediation efforts up to the end of the transition period. The goal is to bring the three member countries back to ECOWAS.
Touray also revealed that withdrawal formalities would be launched after the January 29, 2025 deadline, and a contingency plan covering various areas would be drawn up.
“The authority directs the council of ministers to convene an extraordinary session during the second quarter of 2025 to consider and adopt both separation modalities and the contingency plan covering political and economic relations between ECOWAS and the Republic of Niger, the Republic of Mali, and Burkina Faso,” he said.
