ICYMI: Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic will cease to be members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from 2025.
— TheCableIndex (@thecableindex) December 15, 2024
Alieu Touray, president of ECOWAS commission, made the announcement on Sunday during the 66th ordinary session of heads of states and… pic.twitter.com/AyUef8PBmb
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has officially announced the impending departure of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic from the regional bloc, effective between January and July 2025.
Alieu Touray, president of the ECOWAS commission, made the landmark announcement on Sunday during the 66th ordinary session of heads of states and governments in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city. The six-month window, spanning from January 29 to July 29, 2025, has been strategically designed to allow for potential last-minute diplomatic negotiations and mediation efforts.
This unprecedented move follows months of escalating tensions between these three Sahel region countries and the broader ECOWAS organization. The countries, which experienced military coups in recent years, have been at odds with ECOWAS over democratic governance, sanctions, and regional integration policies.
The exit represents a major fracture in West Africa’s regional cooperation framework, potentially reshaping diplomatic, economic, and security dynamics across the subcontinent. ECOWAS, founded in 1975 to promote economic integration, now faces its most significant challenge in promoting regional stability and collaborative governance.
