The West African countries of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have officially exited the regional organization known as ECOWAS, according to a statement released by the bloc on Wednesday. This marks the end of a yearlong process aimed at preventing the unprecedented collapse of the bloc.
The withdrawal, which was initially announced a year ago, has now been confirmed as effective. Despite this development, ECOWAS has expressed its willingness to maintain open communication with the three departing nations. Member countries are encouraged to continue granting them the benefits of ECOWAS membership, such as free movement across the region with an ECOWAS passport.
Established in 1975, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was formed with the primary objective of fostering collaboration and unity to improve the quality of life for its citizens while ensuring economic stability and growth.
It has since grown to become the region’s top political authority, often collaborating with states to solve domestic challenges on various fronts from politics to economy and security.
Some believe ECOWAS is fast losing goodwill and support from many West Africans who see it as failing to represent their interests in a region where citizens have complained of not benefitting from rich natural resources in their countries.
After coming into power, the juntas in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announced that they were leaving ECOWAS, and they created their own security partnership, the Alliance of Sahel States, in September.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
