EDITED BY\ IKE SPIUS
AFRICA SECTION EDITOR
10 FEB.- 2023

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       West Africa has experienced a series of military coups over the past several years that were mainly caused by terrorism-driven instability. Following coups in Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, all three countries were suspended from the key regional bodies.
Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso have announced that they have agreed to combine efforts to push for the lifting of their suspensions from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU).

Foreign Ministers of Mali Abdoulaye Diop, Guinea Morissanda Kouyate, and Burkina Faso Olivia Rouamba held talks in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, and released a joint statement on Thursday.
After the meeting, the top diplomats told the press that the West African nations had decided to pool their efforts and undertake joint initiatives for the lifting of the suspensions and other restrictions imposed by ECOWAS and the AU following regime change in their countries.

A string of coups unfolded in the West African nations since 2020 resulting in military takeovers and regional bodies demanding to restore civilian rule. Against this backdrop, all three countries were suspended from the decision-making process within ECOWAS and the AU. The regional bodies also introduced tough sanctions against the military authorities, which, in turn, pledged to step down and hold elections.

In their statement, the ministers condemned "the mechanically imposed sanctions" by the regional blocs, noting that they "do not take into account the deep and complex causes of political changes" in their countries.