Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso fight back, impose 0.5% levy on goods from ECOWAS nations

The military governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced the imposition of a 0.5 percent levy on imported goods from nations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Additionally, the three countries are moving forward with plans to fund a new union between them, following their departure from the larger regional economic bloc, according to an official statement issued by the three governments.

The statement revealed that the levy was agreed upon last Friday and took immediate effect. It will apply to all imported goods, excluding humanitarian aid, from outside the three countries.

“This levy will fund the activities of the new bloc,” the statement read, though no further details were provided.

The decision marks the end of free trade across West Africa, which has traditionally been governed under the ECOWAS framework. It underscores the growing divide between the three Sahara-bordering countries and the more influential West African democracies, such as Nigeria and Ghana.

The three nations, each led by military juntas that seized power in recent coups in 2023, had previously formed the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS) as a security pact following their exit from ECOWAS. Over time, the alliance has evolved into an aspiration for economic integration, including plans for deeper military and financial cooperation, such as the introduction of biometric passports.

Last year, the three countries left ECOWAS, citing the bloc’s insufficient support in combating Islamist insurgencies and addressing rising insecurity within their borders.

In response, ECOWAS imposed a series of economic, political, and financial sanctions on the trio in an attempt to pressure them back into constitutional order. However, these sanctions have had little impact.

The three nations have remained steadfast in resisting efforts by ECOWAS, led by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, to reintegrate them into the bloc.