The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has expressed disappointment over the lack of progress in reconciliation efforts with the junta-led states of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
ECOWAS President Oumar Touray announced at a summit in Abuja on Sunday that the region faces risks of disintegration and increased insecurity following the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) by these countries.
The AES confederation treaty highlights the juntas’ intention to exit the nearly 50-year-old ECOWAS, severing military and diplomatic ties with Western powers in favor of closer relations with Russia.
ECOWAS has called for a more vigorous approach to engagement with these states and plans to develop a forward-looking contingency plan for future relations.
Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali have experienced military coups between 2020 and 2023. The AES’s future policies remain uncertain as the countries struggle with Islamist insurgencies and economic challenges.
Their departure could weaken ECOWAS, threatening the region’s freedom of movement and common market of 400 million people.
ECOWAS re-elected Nigerian President Bola Tinubu as chairman for another year and assigned Senegalese and Togolese leaders to negotiate with the juntas. The leaders also approved the mobilization of a 5,000-strong regional counter-terrorism force, starting with a 1,650-man brigade, with funding expected from member countries and the African Union.
