The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will on January 29, 2025 begin the process for Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to formally withdraw their membership of the regional bloc.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, announced at the close of the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja on Sunday that a six-month transition period lasting until July 29, 2025, within which it would engage the withdrawal protocol.
The development follows the elapse of the one-year statutory period since the three countries first filed their decision to withdraw.
Article 91 of the Revised ECOWAS Treaty mandates that any member state wishing to withdraw must give a formal notification to the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
The withdrawal does not take immediate effect; instead, the country is required to wait one year from the date of the notice.
The one-year period, among other reasons, provides time for a withdrawing state to settle financial and legal obligations it may owe to ECOWAS or affiliated institutions.
To this effect, Touray announced, “The authority takes note of the notification by Burkina Faso, the 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 January 29, 2025.
“The authority decides to set the period from January 29, 2025 to July 29, 2025 as a transitional period and to keep ECOWAS doors open to the three countries during the transition period.”
The bloc also extended the mandates of Senegalese President, Bassirou Faye, and Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbé who, since June 2024, led ECOWAS’s mediation efforts with the three withdrawing states.
“In this regard, the authority extends the mandate of President for Gnassingbé of a Togo, and President Faye of Senegal to continue their mediation rule up to the end of the transition period to bring the three member countries back to ECOWAS,” said Touray, thanking the Presidents for their efforts of the past year.
The ECOWAS Authority also instructed the President of the Commission to commence withdrawal procedures after the deadline of January 29, 2025, and to prepare a contingency plan addressing various sectors.
It also mandated the Council of Ministers to convene an extraordinary session in the second quarter of 2025 to deliberate on and adopt the withdrawal framework and contingency plan, which will define the political and economic relationship between ECOWAS and the Republics of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
“Without prejudice, for the spirit of the opening, the Authority directs the President of the Commission to launch withdrawal formalities after the deadline of January 29, 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,” Touray said.
GIK/APA