West African Economic Community Divided by Coup D'?tat

Military Coups in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso Seize Power
Chair Nation Nigeria Expresses Regret Over Withdrawal of Three Countries

Nigeria recently expressed regret over Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, which announced their intention to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the chair of ECOWAS, stated on the 29th (local time) that these three countries "deny the fundamental sovereign rights of their people, such as freedom of movement, freedom of trade, and the freedom to choose their own leaders, under unelected rulers." However, Nigeria is reportedly still willing to engage in dialogue.

These three countries, where military regimes took power through coups, jointly declared their withdrawal yesterday and officially notified ECOWAS of their intention to withdraw today. According to the ECOWAS founding treaty, the withdrawal takes effect one year after the official notification, and until then, the countries must comply with their obligations as members. These 'Sahel 3 countries'?founding members of ECOWAS established in 1975?have had their membership suspended following their respective coups.

In Niger, the military seized power through a coup in July last year, while in Burkina Faso and Mali, the military took control in 2022 and 2020, respectively. ECOWAS, composed of 15 West African countries, demanded the restoration of constitutional order in these countries and imposed various sanctions, which the military regimes strongly opposed.

Instead of France, their former colonial ruler, the Sahel 3 countries have aligned closely with Russia and signed the Sahel Alliance of States (ASS), a mutual defense treaty, in September last year. Subsequently, Mali withdrew from the G5 Sahel joint force supported by the European Union (EU) in May 2022, followed by Burkina Faso and Niger in November last year.