African coup-hit states get more time to rethink ECOWAS exit

West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS gave Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger six months to reconsider their departure from the group, leaders agreed on Sunday.

The military juntas of the three Sahel nations announced in January that they would leave the 15-nation bloc, accusing it of "inhumane and irresponsible" sanctions and of being subservient to former colonial ruler France.

It was the first time in ECOWAS' nearly 50 years of existence that countries had asked to leave.

ECOWAS leaders meet in Abuja, Nigeria, on SundayImage: Marvellous Durowaiye/REUTERS

What did ECOWAS say?

Following talks by the regional heads of state in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray gave Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger until July to reconsider their planned exit.

"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," Touray said, before commending efforts by the bloc's envoys to resolve the crisis. 

"These efforts underscore your collective commitment to preserving peace and unity in our region," he said.

The gesture is likely to fall on deaf ears, however, as the three coup-hit nations have largely rebuffed ECOWAS' efforts to reverse their withdrawal and have created their own Alliance of Sahel States. They have severed ties with France and are pivoting towards Russia's sphere of influence.

ECOWAS has led international calls for the three coup-hit nations to return to democracy.

Image: Balima Boureima/AA/picture alliance

ECOWAS claims 'progress' in exit reversal talks

Last week, Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who is the ECOWAS mediator with the breakaway states, said he was "making progress" with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

In Abuja, the regional leaders gave Faye and Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe authorization to continue negotiations.

They are due to leave the regional grouping on January 29, 2025, having said this week their decisions were "irreversible."

One major benefit of being a member of ECOWAS is visa-free movement between member states. The three departing members said this week that access to their territories would remain visa-free for other West African citizens.

However, they "reserve the right to refuse entry to any ECOWAS national falling into the category of inadmissible immigrants."

Their departure is expected to have a major impact on free trade and movement as well as on security cooperation in a region where jihadists tied both to Al Qaeda and Islamic State are gaining ground.

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have all gone through military coups and jihadist insurgencies in recent years. ECOWAS member state Guinea is also run by a military government after a 2021 coup.

ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Niger and even threatened a military intervention over a July 2023 coup — the region's sixth in three years — but that position has since softened and some of the curbs were later lifted.

mm/xxx (AFP, AP, Reuters)