APA-Lagos (Nigeria) The West African regional bloc Ecowas says it is yet to receive any formal notice signalling the intention of three of its member states to quit.
A statement broadcast on the national televisions of Mali and Niger over the weekend announced the decision of the two countries and Burkina Faso to withdraw from Ecowas.
”The ECOWAS Commission is yet to receive any direct formal notification from the three member states about their intention to withdraw from the community” said a statement on Monday.
The ECOWAS commission said as directed by regional leaders it ”has been working assiduously with these countries for the restoration of constitutional order”.
It described the West African trio as important members of the regional organisation with whom it remains committed to finding a negotiated solution to the political impasse brought about by the overthrow of civilian governments in those countries.
Ouagadougou, Niamey and Bamako say the regional institution is “under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles and has become a threat to its member states and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure”.
They claim that Ecowas “did not provide assistance to our states in the context of our existential fight against terrorism and insecurity”, emphasising that “when the states decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it (ECOWAS) adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture by imposing illegal, illegitimate and inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of its own principles.”
Led by the military, respectively since August 2020, September 2022 and July 2023, Mali, Burkina and Niger created the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) last September, a new bloc whose mission is to strengthen security cooperation between the three countries in the three-border region, commonly called Liptako-Gourma.
But the three capitals are not ruling out moving towards a federation, in accordance with the recommendations of the conclave of AES foreign ministers in Mali. According to many observers, this should lead the three states towards a possible exit from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and the creation of their own monetary zone and currency.
Before Sunday’s announcement, the foreign ministers of the Sahel trio were received in audience by the Nigerien head of state, General Abdourahamane Tiani, in Niamey.
Although the withdrawal from Ecowas has already been announced, it may not likely take place immediately.
According to Ecowas rules “any member state wishing to withdraw from the community shall notify in writing, within one (1) year, its decision to the Executive Secretary who shall inform the member states”.
At the end of this period, if its notification is not withdrawn, the state in question ceases to be a member of the community.
However, the member state wishing to quit should continue to comply with the provisions of the Ecowas treaty and fulfill obligations binding on it during this one-year period.
WN/as/APA