From January 29, 2025, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will be left with 12 members as the bloc yesterday approved the exit of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso from its fold.
Those that will hold the fort are Benin Republic, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
The president of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, announced the withdrawal of the three former members at the close of the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held in Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
The exit followed the expiration of the one-year statutory period since the three countries first filed their decision to withdraw.
Article 91 of the Revised ECOWAS Treaty mandates any member state wishing to withdraw to 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.
“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,” Touray announced.
He stated that Authority of ECOWAS heads of state and government, commended the exemplary diplomatic engagement of President Bassirou Faye of Senegal, and President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo, and the diplomatic efforts of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, and other individual member states towards the three countries.
Touray also announced a six-month transition period lasting until July 29, 2025, within which it would engage withdrawal protocol.
“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,” he said.
Touray also said the Authority had extended the mandates of Gnassingbé and Faye to continue mediation efforts throughout the transition period.
He said ECOWAS, during the transitional phase, would focus on preparing for the separation.
ECOWAS also tasked its Commission President with initiating withdrawal formalities after January 29, 2025, and developing a contingency plan to address political and economic relations with the departing nations.
Touray also announced that the ECOWAS council of ministers would convene an extraordinary session in mid-2025 to finalise separation modalities and the contingency plan.
“The part of the communiqué I’ll be reading relates to the decision of the Republic of Mali, the Republic of Niger and Burkina Faso, to withdraw from ECOWAS.
“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,” he said.
Recall that the Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso had in January announced their decision to withdraw from ECOWAS, accusing ECOWAS of deviating from its foundational ideals and succumbing to external influences, particularly criticising the imposition of sanctions aimed at reversing the coups in their respective countries.
