The West African bloc, Ecowas, has warned that it risks disintegration and worsening insecurity after Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formalized their breakaway union.
The head of the ECOWAS commission said the move was a major blow to the 50-year-old bloc and could have serious consequences if they did not reverse their decision.
This comes after the three countries’ military leaders said on Saturday they were “irrevocably” turning their backs on the 15-member ECOWAS to form a confederation of their own states.
The junta came to power after a series of coups d’état between 2020 and 2023, with ECOWAS responding by imposing sanctions, demanding a rapid restoration of civilian rule.
Ecowas even threatened to use military force before retreating.
Some of the sanctions have since been lifted and the bloc has sought the return of these countries.
ECOWAS says the boards’ latest move could disrupt the freedom of movement of people across the region and undermine efforts to combat regional insecurity, especially in sharing information.
“Our region faces the risk of disintegration,” warned the president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, on Sunday.
The bloc appointed Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to mediate the crisis.
His appointment was decided at an Ecowas summit held in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Sunday.
Mr. Faye was praised as having the ability to serve as a facilitator in a mission that is expected to face significant challenges.
He belongs to the same generation as the three military rulers – much younger than the region’s other leaders – and shares the junta’s criticism of the role of Western powers in the region, especially France, the former colonial ruler in the four countries.
All expelled French soldiers who were there as part of an anti-jihadist mission and turned to Russia for military assistance.
In a related development, Germany’s Defense Ministry announced that its army will cease operations in Niger at the end of next month following a breakdown in negotiations with the ruling junta.
This comes after the US completed the withdrawal of troops from an air base in the capital Niamey – leaving its remaining forces at just a drone base in the central city of Agadez.
The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, who has been reappointed as President of ECOWAS, also highlighted the need for new partnerships to overcome the political, economic and security challenges of West Africa and the Sahel region in particular – the semi-arid region south of Sahara Desert.
On Saturday, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger signed a treaty to form a new confederation – the Alliance of Sahel States.
They agreed to build common institutions and infrastructure that could help the free movement of their citizens within the three countries.
ECOWAS citizens are free to live and work in all member countries, but if the three countries were to leave the bloc, their citizens would lose this right unless a new agreement is agreed.
West African leaders fear that jihadist groups could spread across Sahel borders into neighboring countries – a situation that could negatively affect their citizens and regional security.
The junta-led states were most affected by Islamic insurgencies, which is one of the reasons given by military leaders for seizing power.
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