Abuja, Dec. 16, 2024 -The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has formally approved the exit of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso from the regional body.
Dr Omar Alieu Touray, the ECOWAS Commission President, announced this on Sunday in Abuja at the end of the 66th Ordinary Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government and ECOWAS Commission.
He said the three countries would formally cease to be members of ECOWAS on Jan. 29, 2025, in accordance with Article 91 of the revised ECOWAS treaty.
Touray, however, said the regional bloc had earmarked a transitional period from Jan. 29 to July 29, 2025, during which ECOWAS would keep its doors open for these countries to reconsider their decision.
Touray reads communique in parts: “The part of the communique I’ll be reading relates to the decision of the Republic of Mali, the Republic of Niger and Burkina Faso, to withdraw from ECOWAS.
“After deliberations, their excellencies, members of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, commend the exemplary diplomatic engagement of His Excellency, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal, and His Excellency Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Togolese Republic, and the diplomatic efforts of the Chairman of Authority, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and other individual member states towards these three countries.
“The authority takes note of the notification by Burkina Faso, Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger 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.
“The Authority decides to set the period from 29 January, 2025, to 29 July 2025, as a transitional period and to keep ECOWAS doors open to the three countries during the transition period.
“In this regard, the Authority extends the mandate of President Gnassingbé of Togo and President Faye of Senegal to continue their mediation role up to the end of the transition period to bring the three member countries back to ECOWAS.
“Without prejudice for the spirit of the opening, the Authority directs the President of the Commission to launch withdrawal formalities after the deadline of 29th January, 2025, and to draw up a contingency plan covering various areas.
“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.”
