January 28, (THEWILL) – The military regimes in Mali, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso, have announced the immediate withdrawal of their membership from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in protest of their suspension from the regional bloc.
In a joint statement on Sunday, the leaders of the three West African countries, said they have “decided in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
“Furthermore, ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to its member states and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure.”
Struggling with jihadist violence and poverty, the regimes have had tense ties with ECOWAS since coups took place in Niger on July 26, 2023, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Mali in 2020.
All three were suspended from ECOWAS, with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions.
The joint statement accused ECOWAS of failing to assist in fighting “existential” threats like terrorism the common reason cited by their militaries for deposing their democratically elected governments.
“When these States decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it (ECOWAS) adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture in imposing illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of its texts”, the statement noted.
Rather than improve their situations, the juntas said the ECOWAS sanctions have “further weakened populations already bruised by years of violence.”
They alleged that the bloc has “moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism” after nearly 50 years of its establishment.
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