The military-led governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have officially announced their decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by January 29, 2025.
This resolution was confirmed during the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Commission Authority of Heads of State and Government held in Abuja.
In a statement delivered by Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, the bloc acknowledged the sovereignty of the three nations, citing Article 91 of the revised ECOWAS treaty, which upholds the right of member states to exit the organization.
While the decision will take effect in January, ECOWAS has introduced a six-month transition period from January 29 to July 29, 2025, to allow ongoing negotiations led by the Presidents of Senegal and Togo.
During this transition, the mediation efforts will aim to bring Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger back into the fold. ECOWAS emphasized that the door remains open for the countries to reconsider their withdrawal and rejoin the bloc before the transition period ends.
As part of the process, ECOWAS plans to initiate formal withdrawal procedures after January 29 and develop contingency strategies to address the political and economic implications of the separation.
Additionally, an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers will be held in the second quarter of 2025 to finalize exit arrangements and future relations with the departing countries.
The ECOWAS Authority commended the diplomatic efforts of Senegalese President Macky Sall, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, and Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for their roles in mediating the situation and working towards regional stability.