On Wednesday, the Economic Community of West African States declared that it has established a committee to decide on the terms of its future relations with Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Following their withdrawal from the regional bloc, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger had until Wednesday to complete their expulsion from ECOWAS.
In order to ensure that the transition does not adversely affect the millions of people who depend on cross-border travel and commerce, a special ECOWAS committee has been formed to negotiate future engagement with the three nations.
These agreements will remain in effect until the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government has fully decided on the terms of our next interactions with the three nations.
“The omission has established a framework to help all three countries have conversations about these modalities. In a statement released on Wednesday, the commission said, “This message is essential to prevent confusion and disruption in our people’s lives and businesses during this transition period.”
Additionally, Dr. Omar Touray, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, acknowledged during a media briefing on Wednesday that the three military-led countries’ withdrawal went into effect on January 29, 2025.
He clarified that in order to give time for a potential reconsideration, a member nation is required by Article 91 of the ECOWAS Treaty to give a year’s notice prior to withdrawing.
Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali, and the Republic of Niger officially ceased to be members of the Economic Community of the West African States on January 29, 2025.
Following the three nations’ January 2024 notification to the commission about their stance and plan to leave the community, this came about.
“When a member country plans to leave the community, they must give one year’s notice and have the right to withdraw their notification at any time,” Touray stated, citing Article 91 of the amended ECOWAS Treaty.
However, the ECOWAS Summit on December 15, 2024, acknowledged the three countries’ departure because they failed to withdraw their notification within the allotted time.
“The notification of the three countries that was communicated in January 2024 was not or has not been withdrawn,” the president said.
Consequently, the authority recognized at its December 15th, 2024, summit that the three nations will no longer be ECOWAS members as of today, January 29th, 2025.
“I traveled to all three nations on January 13, 2025, to convey the authority’s stance regarding their notification.”
In spite of their departure, ECOWAS said that inhabitants of the three nations could still travel throughout the region using passports and identity cards with its insignia.
Under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme, trade and economic activity will also continue, permitting the unrestricted flow of products and services.
According to Touray, these actions would continue until the leaders of state and government of ECOWAS decide on a final framework for relations with the three nations.
Negotiations on their withdrawal and future ties with ECOWAS would be the next stage, according to Touray.
“We are establishing frameworks that will facilitate dialogue. Two of the nations have communicated their want to meet and talk with ECOWAS, and we are eager to have those conversations,” the president said.
Touray affirmed that nationals of the three nations working in ECOWAS institutions will lose their jobs as a result of the withdrawal, in accordance with Article 53 of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations, even though ECOWAS is still open to discussion.
He added that ECOWAS views the security of all West African countries as intertwined and emphasized the significance of ongoing regional security cooperation.
“Therefore, security cooperation will persist at every level, not just in the ECOWAS nations but throughout the region,” he stated.
Touray restated that free mobility, economic collaboration, and trade facilitation are just a few of the many advantages that ECOWAS offers.
He said he hoped the departing countries will see these benefits and change their minds in the future.
ECOWAS is reactivating its standby force, which will initially consist of 1,650 troops but is expected to grow to 5,000 in order to increase security. In order to strengthen regional security initiatives, the group is also enlisting its own internal resources and looking into possible UN funding sources.
He concluded by saying, “We believe we are now better positioned to address terrorism in the Sahel Area, along with the leaders’ commitment to raise internal resources and the new development at the level of the UN. For this reason, we hope that we can continue to collaborate with our brothers and sisters from the three countries to address this key challenge, not only in the Sahel area, but also in the region.”
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