Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger confirm irreversible withdrawal from ECOWAS
“The national leaders considers the attempt to prolong the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS yet another attempt that would allow the French junta and its lackeys to continue planning and carrying out actions, aimed at destabilization of the Sahel Alliance,” says the joint statement
Leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, all members of the Sahel Alliance, confirmed that their decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is irreversible and immediate.
“While reaffirming the irreversible and immediate nature of the Sahel Alliance states’ withdrawal from ECOWAS, stated in the December 14, 2024 declaration, the national leaders considers the attempt to prolong the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS yet another attempt that would allow the French junta and its lackeys to continue planning and carrying out actions, aimed at destabilization of the Sahel Alliance,” says the joint statement of the three states’ leaders.
The heads of states also noted that “since the moment of adoption of the new strategic position, directed by the [Sahel Alliance states’] legitimate aspirations for freedom and peace, the imperialist French junta, which feels a threat for its interests, supported by some sub-regional leaders, desperately seeks to stop the liberation dynamic, initiated by the Sahel Alliance,” the declaration reads.
On December 15, the ECOWAS Summit in Abuja, approved the decision of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to withdraw from the association. At the same time, these three countries were granted a six-month “transitional period” until July 29, 2025, allowing the states the return to the association.
The Leaders of the three countries, which all are members of the Sahel Alliance, decided to take their defence and security forces to the highest alert, said the joint statement, signed by Interim President of Mali, Chairman of the Sahel Alliance conference Assimi Goita.
“The College of national leaders closely follows the deceiving maneuvers, initiated by the French junta, who declares the shutdown of its military bases only to replace them with another, less visible mechanism, which pursues the same neo-colonial goal,” says a statement.
“These actions are accompanied by operations on reorganization and regrouping of terrorist groups in the Lake Chad basin, in Sahel and in some border areas, including borders between Niger and Nigeria, Niger and Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso.
These groups receive various support from foreign states, including funds and equipment, intended for destabilization of the Sahel Alliance,” the statement read.
Faced by these circumstances, the national leaders have ruled to place the defence and security forces on maximum alert, and make the confederacy’s territory a single theatre of military operation, which coexists with the current national war theatres of each.
