Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have officially withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as of January 29, 2025. This development was announced during a press conference held in Abuja, Nigeria by Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission.
Dr. Touray referenced a decision made at the organization’s 66th session on December 15, 2024, which allows for dialogue with these countries over a six-month period. “I have already sent an official letter to these States, individually, to inform them that the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have taken note of their decision to withdraw from ECOWAS,” he stated. A technical meeting has been proposed to determine separation modalities.
Pending this meeting and maintaining regional solidarity, several measures were announced by Dr. Touray that must be respected by authorities within and outside all ECOWAS member states. These include recognition of national identity cards and passports bearing the ECOWAS logo for citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Goods and services from these countries will continue under existing trade policies.
Citizens will retain rights to movement, residence, and establishment without visas according to regional protocols until further notice. Support is also requested for ECOWAS officials from these three states in their community missions.
These measures remain until future relations are defined by ECOWAS leadership. The conference included questions about officials’ status from the withdrawing countries within ECOWAS, potential collaboration in the future, possible re-entry into ECOWAS by any state or further departures by others.
Concerns also covered free movement post-transition period ending in six months, community levies, and security issues like terrorism in West Africa. “We remain a community; a family,” emphasized Dr. Touray while urging media to inform objectively to prevent misinformation damaging ECOWAS’s reputation.
Vice-President Mme Damtien Larbli Tchintchibidja along with other commissioners attended the event.
