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The three coup-affected nations have been given six months to rethink their decision to leave the group.
After almost a year-long mediation, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), West Africa’s regional bloc, has announced an exit timeline for Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The three coup-affected nations have been given six months to rethink their decision to leave the group. The bloc hopes to convince the countries to return during the six-month transition period.
The three countries, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger declared their intention to withdraw from ECOWAS, in January 2024, when ECOWAS imposed sanctions after the military coups in these countries. Membership in ECOWAS offers significant advantages, including the free movement of goods and people among member states. The military governments of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced that they will explore alternate possibilities of issuing their travel documents and forming a separate alliance. As a countermeasure, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced that their territories would remain visa-free for all ECOWAS citizens post-exit.
Omar Touray, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, said that ECOWAS will keep the door open for the re-entry of the three countries into the fold during this period which will be from January 29, 2025, to July 29, 2025. The gesture is regarded as an effort to prevent the fragmentation of the regional bloc that was set up in 1975.
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Political analysts are sounding skeptical about the possibility of ECOWAS successfully reintegrating the three countries. The primary condition for their readmission set by ECOWAS is a swift return to democratic governance. which the military juntas have rejected.
ECOWAS faces a significant challenge. Experts say that allowing the juntas to maintain power could lead to further regional fragmentation and accepting them would be a serious deviation from ECOWAS’s core mission of fostering democratic governance.
