ECOWAS Finally Agrees To Let Mail, Niger And Burkina Faso Withdraw From Bloc

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When Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso announced their decision to withdraw from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS in January this year, ECOWAS granted them a one-year period to change their decision. However, as the one-year period finally draws closer, it has become obvious that the three countries have no intention of changing their decision to withdraw from the bloc. As a result, ECOWAS recently announced that it has approved their withdrawal. ECOWAS also gave a six-month transition period from January 29th, 2025 to July 29th, 2025, in hopes that the three countries could reconsider. While this is great news for Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, the question is “How will ECOWAS survive the exit of the three countries? Are we about to see ECOWAS disintegrate? Or will both blocs work together? Let’s find out.

Last week, leaders of the regional bloc, ECOWAS met in Abuja Nigeria to deliberate on the decision of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to withdraw from the bloc. Following the meeting, ECOWAS announced that it respects the decision of the three Sahel countries to leave and said that they are free to do so. However, the regional bloc offered a transitional period of six months. In the period between 29 January and 29 July 2025, the trio can be readmitted to the bloc should they decide to rejoin the community. Speaking on the issue, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, said in a statement “The authority decided 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”.