Lagos:

Junta-led countries Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso officially left West Africa’s main political and trade group ECOWAS on Wednesday after more than a year of diplomatic tensions.

The withdrawal has shaken the Economic Community of West African States that many consider to be the continent’s most important regional group and which this year marks its 50th anniversary.

Its leadership said in a statement that the group would “keep ECOWAS doors open” to the three countries but their departure has left the organisation’s future uncertain.

The rupture was sparked by the July 2023 coup in Niger, after military leaders in Burkina and Mali had also seized power since 2020.

ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily in Niger to reinstate the deposed president and imposed heavy economic sanctions on Niamey, which have now been lifted.

The three countries, who were founding members of ECOWAS, announced in January 2024 they planned to withdraw immediately but the rules of the organisation required one-year’s notice for it to take effect.

Their military rulers accused ECOWAS of imposing “inhuman, illegal and illegitimate” sanctions.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have now formed their own confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

The ECOWAS statement called on member countries to recognise “until further notice” the passports from the three countries that bear the ECOWAS logo.

It said that citizens of the three countries should “continue to enjoy the right of visa free movement, residence and establishment in accordance with the ECOWAS protocols” until a new decision is taken.

Goods and services from the three will also be treated in line with ECOWAS rules until the West African group decides its “future engagement” with the three, it added.

The military leaders in the Sahel states accuse ECOWAS of failing to help them fight jihadist uprisings in their countries and of being too close to France, the former colonial power in the region.

The three have largely cut their security ties with France and turned towards Russia, Iran and Turkey for assistance.

In a sign of the doubts within ECOWAS, Togo and Ghana have normalised their relations with the three states and Ghana’s new president, John Mahama, has named a special envoy to the Alliance of Sahel 

File picture of a mural in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
| Photo Credit: APm

Burkina Faso’s ruling junta will remain in power for another five years after participants in national talks on Saturday proposed extending the transition back to democracy by 60 months from July, according to the text of an approved new charter.

The military authorities seized power in a 2022 coup and promised to hold elections in July this year to restore civilian rule, but also said that security considerations would take priority.

According to the new charter, signed by military leader Ibrahim Traore, the transition is set at 60 months from July 2.

“The elections marking the end of the transition may be organised before this deadline if the security situation so permits,” it added.

The substantial delay is likely to deepen concerns about democratic backsliding in West and Central Africa, where there have been eight coups over the past four years.

The charter also allows Traore to run for president when the elections take place.

Violence in West Africa’s Sahel region fuelled by a decade-long fight with Islamist groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State has worsened since respective militaries seized power in Burkina Faso and neighbouring Mali and Niger.

Burkina Faso experienced a severe escalation of deadly attacks in 2023, with more than 8,000 people reportedly killed, according to U.S.-based crisis-monitoring group ACLED.