The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced that the membership of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger within the regional bloc will officially terminate in January 2025.
A resolution was reached during the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Commission Authority of Heads of State and Government, held in Abuja.
In a communiqué delivered by Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, the organization acknowledged and respected the decision made by the military juntas governing the three countries.
Touray reiterated this principle, stating, “The framework of ECOWAS is designed to respect the decisions of its members, even when it involves their departure.”
Read the communique below
After deliberations, their excellencies, the authority members of the authority of ECOWAS, heads of state and government, commend the exemplary diplomatic engagement of His Excellency. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal, and His Excellency Faure Gnassingbé President of the Togolese Republic, and the diplomatic efforts of the chairman of authority, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other individual member states towards these three countries.
The authority takes note of the notification by Burkina Faso, Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger of their decision to withdraw from ECOWAS. The authority acknowledges that in accordance with the provisions of Article 91 of the revised ECOWAS treaty, the three countries will officially cease to be members of ECOWAS from 29 January, 2025.
The authority decides to set the period from 29 January, 2025 to 29 July 2025 as a transitional period and to keep ECOWAS doors open to the three countries during the transition period.
In this regard, the authority extends the mandate of President for Gnassingbé of a Togo, and President Faye of Senegal to continue their mediation rule up to the end of the transition period to bring the three member countries back to ECOWAS.
Without prejudice, for the spirit of the opening, The Authority directs the President of the Commission to launch withdrawal formalities after the deadline of 29th January, 2025 and to draw up a contingency plan covering various areas.
The Authority directs the Council of Ministers to convene an extraordinary session during the second quarter of 2025 to consider and adopt both separation modalities and the contingency plan covering political and economic relations between ECOWAS and the Republic of Niger, the Republic of Mali and Burkina Faso.
