[The junta-led West African nations of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have formally withdrawn from the regional bloc ECOWAS, the body announced on Wednesday. The withdrawal marks the culmination of a yearlong process during which the group tried to avert an unprecedented disintegration. Despite the split, ECOWAS has decided to “keep ECOWAS’ doors open” and requested member nations to continue to accord the trio their membership privileges, including free movement within the region with an ECOWAS passport.
ECOWAS President Omar Alieu Touray said that the bloc hopes to still collaborate with the countries in tackling some of the region’s challenges, including the deadly extremist violence ripping through the region. However, the split has worsened a legitimacy crisis of ECOWAS, which has often failed to uphold the rule of law, according to Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
The three poorest member states’ decision to leave the bloc makes ECOWAS look even more like a loser in this conflict, Laessing said. ECOWAS was formed in 1975 to promote economic integration in member states and has struggled in recent years to reverse coups in the region where citizens have complained of not benefiting from rich natural resources.
The bloc has since grown to become the region’s top political authority, often collaborating with states to solve domestic challenges on various fronts from politics to economics and security. However, ECOWAS has lost its effectiveness and support among citizens, who see it as representing only the interests of the leaders and not that of the masses, said Oge Onubogu, director of the Africa Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center think tank.
The juntas in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced that they were leaving ECOWAS after coming into power and created their own security partnership known as the Alliance of Sahel States. They also severed military ties with longstanding Western partners such as the U.S. and France and turned to Russia for military support. It’s the first time in the bloc’s half-century of existence that its members have withdrawn in such a manner. Analysts say it’s an unprecedented blow to the group that could threaten efforts to return democracy and help stabilize the increasingly fragile region.
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