The summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (ESA), comprising Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, recently rejected the timetable set by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), claiming it was a ploy to destabilize their newly created entity.
At a summit held a week ago in Abuja, Nigeria, the regional organization announced a six-month withdrawal period to allow the three countries to reconsider their decision after their official departure scheduled for the end of January 2025.
However, the ESA heads of state say the move is “nothing more than another attempt by France and its auxiliaries to continue planning and carrying out destabilizing actions against ESA.”
Their statement added that “this unilateral decision does not commit the ESA countries.” They had already indicated before the summit that their decision to leave the organization was “irreversible.”
It will be a “transition period” that will last until “July 29, 2025” to “keep the doors of ECOWAS open,” according to the ECOWAS Commission president.
The three countries accuse the bloc of “inhumane and irresponsible” coup-related sanctions and of failing to help them resolve their internal security crises.
The three coup-hit countries have largely rejected ECOWAS’s efforts to reverse their withdrawal. They are now considering issuing travel documents independent of ECOWAS and forming their own alliance. The one-year deadline for their departure is expected to end in January.
A major benefit of being an ECOWAS member is visa-free movement within member countries, and it is unclear how this might change after the three countries leave the bloc.