The bloc on Sunday said it had not received any direct notification from the three member states about their immediate withdrawal from the organisation.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said that Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso remain important members of the regional bloc.
The bloc on Sunday said it had not received any direct notification from the three member states about their immediate withdrawal from the organisation.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger on Sunday announced their immediate withdrawal from ECOWAS.
The declaration was made in Ouagadougou, Bamako and Niamey on January 28, 2024.
In their joint statement obtained by SaharaReporters, the military rulers gave their reasons for taking the action.
According to them, ECOWAS has deviated from the ideals of the founding fathers and pan-Africanism.
“After 49 years of existence, the valiant people of Burkina, Mali and Niger note with much regret, bitterness and great disappointment that their Organization has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism.
“Furthermore, ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to its member states and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure.
“Indeed, the organization has not provided assistance to our States in the context of our existential fight against terrorism and insecurity; worse, when these States decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture by imposing illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of its own texts; all things which have further weakened populations already bruised by years,” they said in their joint statement.
Reacting to that in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, ECOWAS said it had “been drawn to a statement broadcast on the National Televisions of Mali and Niger announcing the decision of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to withdraw from ECOWAS”.
It said the Commission “is yet to receive any direct formal notification from the three Member States about their intention to withdraw from the Community”.
“The ECOWAS Commission, as directed by the Authority of Heads of State and Government, has been working assiduously with these countries for the restoration of constitutional order. Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali remain important members of the Community and the Authority remains committed to finding a negotiated solution to the political impasse.
The ECOWAS Commission remains seized with the development and shall make further pronouncements as the situation evolves,” it said.
In September 2023, the three countries signed a mutual defence pact to assist one another against armed rebellion or external aggression.
The charter - Alliance of Sahel States - binds the countries to assist one another – including militarily should there be an attack against one of them.
Mali’s military leader Assimi Goita said on his X social media account, “I have today signed with the Heads of State of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, with the aim of establishing a collective defence and mutual assistance framework.”
Following a military coup in Niger last July, ECOWAS under the leadership of Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, imposed sanctions on the country and threatened military action.