In a move that has sent shock waves across the sub-region, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic, yesterday, pulled out of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), alleging that the group’s decisions are being influenced by foreign powers. In a joint statement, the three countries, currently led by military juntas, accused the regional bloc of moving away from the ideals of its founding fathers, after nearly 50 years of its establishment. Before the latest development, the 15 members of ECOWAS were Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The main goal of ECOWAS is to promote economic cooperation among member states in order to raise the living standards of their people and promote economic development of member states. ECOWAS has also worked to address some security issues by developing a peacekeeping force for conflicts in the region. But Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic accused the organisation of failing to assist them in their existential fight against terrorism and growing insecurity. In the joint communiqué read on national television of each of the countries, obtained by THISDAY, the three countries maintained that ECOWAS had become a threat to its founding members.

THISDAY