Burkina Faso, Republic of Mali, and the Republic of Niger have collectively declared their joint decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
This was disclosed in a joint communique by Burkina Faso, Republic of Mali, and the Republic of Niger issued on Sunday, January 28.
According to the communique, ECOWAS has neglected it founding principles, “there becomes a threat to its member states and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure”.
The communique read partly, “Eager to achieve integration between the States of the sub-region and driven by the ideals de of brotherhood, solidarity, mutual aid, peace and development, Their Excellencies General Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana, General Moussa Traoré and Lieutenant Colonel Seyni Kountché, respectively Heads of State of Upper Volta (current Burkina Faso), Mali and Niger, created with twelve (12) of their peers, on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
“After 49 years of existence, the valiant people of Burkina, Mali and Niger note with much regret, bitterness and great disappointment that their Organization has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism. Furthermore, ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to its member states and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure.
“Indeed, the organization has not provided assistance to our States in the context of our existential fight against terrorism and insecurity; worse, when these States decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture by imposing illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of its own texts; all things which have further weakened populations already bruised by years of violence imposed by instrumentalized and remote-controlled terrorist hordes.
“Faced with this continuing situation, Their Excellencies, Captain lbrahim Traoré, Colonel Assimi Goita and Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, respectively Heads of State of Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger, taking all their responsibilities in the face of history and responding to the expectations, concerns and aspirations of their populations, decide in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States.
