The foreign ministers of the Alliance of Sahel States have condemned the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security’s criticism of their countries’ withdrawal from the West African regional grouping ECOWAS.
The foreign ministers of the Confederation of Sahel States (CSA) expressed their dissatisfaction following the public deliberations of the 65th ordinary session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), held on 7 July 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria.
At the summit, the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, said that “the withdrawal of three countries from ECOWAS is unacceptable to the African Union and we believe in one ECOWAS.”
The ESA foreign ministers considered these remarks to be inappropriate interference in the internal affairs
of their member states.
Abdoulaye Diop of Mali, Karomoko Jean-Marie Traore of Burkina Faso and Bakary Yaou Sangare of Niger reiterated that the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS was a sovereign decision, in line
with the provisions of the regional institution’s Revised Treaty of 24 July 1993. The heads of diplomacy of the three countries denounced the attitude of the AU Commissioner as being contrary to the duty of reserve and the obligation of impartiality incumbent on any official of an intergovernmental organisation.
The three countries have decided to leave ECOWAS in response to what they consider to be illegal and inhumane sanctions imposed after the recent coups.. They also accused ECOWAS of failing to support them in their fight against terrorism and insecurity, and of allowing itself to be influenced by foreign powers, notably France.
The ESA foreign ministers asked the AU Commission to justify such statements, indicating on which decision or act the political organs of the pan-African organisation they were based. They also expressed regret at the variable nature of the commission’s judgements, pointing out that the withdrawal of a previous member (Mauritania) from ECOWAS in 2000 had not been deemed unacceptable.
Finally, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate with the commission and the other organs of the AU while respecting the sovereign choices of their member states and the texts of the continental organisation.
They called on the intergovernmental political organs of the AU to ensure scrupulous respect for the sovereignty of member states.
MD/ac/Sf/fss/as/APA