The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) convened an emergency session on Tuesday in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, to address the implications of the withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from the regional bloc. Founded 50 years ago, ECOWAS was established to promote economic integration and regional cooperation among West African nations.
In a statement, ECOWAS said the extraordinary session—held at the ministerial level—will continue through April 22 and 23. The agenda includes discussions on the procedural aspects of the withdrawal and the impact on ECOWAS agencies and institutions operating within the three departing countries.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger jointly announced their exit from ECOWAS in January 2024 through a statement issued under the banner of the Sahel States Alliance—a coalition of the three nations. The statement cited what it described as undue influence from foreign powers within ECOWAS, claiming these external actors were undermining the bloc’s founding values and objectives.
Earlier this year, ECOWAS acknowledged the departure but proposed a six-month transition period, keeping the door open for dialogue and reconciliation. Mediation efforts led by the presidents of Senegal, Togo, and Ghana were undertaken in hopes of reversing the decision. However, the outreach failed to sway the military-led governments of the Sahel nations.
A Milestone Overshadowed
This emergency meeting coincides with the lead-up to ECOWAS’s 50th anniversary. Established on May 28, 1975, the bloc has long championed economic integration across West Africa. As of 2021, ECOWAS member states represented a combined population of approximately 350 million and spanned 5 million square kilometers—around 17% of Africa’s total landmass.
Mauritania, once the only Arab member state, withdrew from ECOWAS in 2001.
ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray has repeatedly warned that the withdrawal of the Sahel states poses a serious threat to the bloc’s cohesion and could disrupt the path toward regional integration. Together, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso account for 53% of ECOWAS’s total land area—about 2.78 million square kilometers—and house over 73 million people, or nearly 21% of the regional population.
