Prime News Ghana

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formally withdraw from ECOWAS

By Vincent Ashitey
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The junta-led West African nations of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have formally withdrawn from the regional bloc known as ECOWAS, the body said Wednesday, the culmination of a yearlong process during which the group tried to avert an unprecedented disintegration.

The withdrawal of the three countries, first announced a year ago, “has become effective today,” ECOWAS said in a statement. The bloc, however, said that it has also decided to “keep ECOWAS’ doors open,” requesting member nations to continue to accord the trio of nations membership privileges, including free movement within the region with an ECOWAS passport.

Widely seen as West Africa’s top political and regional authority, the 15-nation ECOWAS was formed in 1975 to “promote economic integration” in member states. It has struggled in recent years to reverse rampant coups in the region where citizens have complained of not benefitting from rich natural resources.

The bloc has since grown to become the region’s top political authority, often collaborating with states to solve domestic challenges on various fronts from politics to economics and security.