The process of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is expected to take approximately a year, according to Sierra Leone's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Timothy Kabba.
"Any nation intending to leave ECOWAS must formally request such action, which will then be evaluated over a span of a year," - he told RFI radio. - "However, throughout this duration, the state desiring to exit ECOWAS must uphold its obligations undertaken within the regional organization."
Kabba mentioned that an ECOWAS summit would soon be convened to discuss the three countries' requests to withdraw from the organization. "I anticipate that the heads of state will examine the situation and determine the most suitable resolution," - the minister said. - "I believe that the optimal solution is a diplomatic one. Furthermore, I am confident that we will remain patient with our colleagues from Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso as they navigate the political challenges these countries face."
On January 28, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger jointly announced their intention to withdraw from ECOWAS as swiftly as possible. Their collective statement stressed that ECOWAS "has fallen under the sway of foreign powers, posing a threat to member states and their populations."
Founded in the spring of 1975, ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger, demanding that the military regimes seize power in these countries immediately restore civilian governance and hold presidential and general elections. With the departure of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS, the number of participating countries will decrease to 12. This year, the ECOWAS chairmanship is held by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
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Based on materials from TASS