ECOWAS To Discuss Niger, Mali, And Burkina Faso Withdrawal At Ghana Meeting

The member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will convene in Ghana on Tuesday to deliberate on the withdrawal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso from the regional bloc.

The meeting, which will span two days, Tuesday and Wednesday aims to evaluate the logistics of these countries’ exit and its consequences for ECOWAS institutions operating within their borders.

In a statement released on Tuesday, ECOWAS indicated that the agenda of the meeting will primarily focus on the modalities surrounding the withdrawal of the three countries and the broader implications for ECOWAS agencies functioning in these states.

Naijaonpoint reports that the bloc further announced plans to “set up a structure to facilitate discussions on these modalities with each of the three countries involved.”

The session, to be held in Accra, will be crucial in determining how ECOWAS institutions will manage the transition and maintain operational efficiency in the face of the exit of these countries.

According to the statement, the session will also address other related issues of regional significance.

The tension between ECOWAS and the three withdrawing countries escalated recently when the junta-led governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, under the Alliance of Sahel States, imposed a 0.5 percent import duty on goods from ECOWAS.

The levy, which applies to all goods entering the three countries from ECOWAS members, excludes humanitarian aid.

This move directly countered ECOWAS’s initiative to ensure the free movement of goods between its member states, especially in light of the official withdrawal of these countries from the bloc in January. The levy further complicates relations and raises concerns over the future of economic collaboration within the region.