The leaders of the economic community of West African States (ECOWAS) will hold, on Sunday, an “ordinary” summit with the participation of 12 out of 15 countries, which are members of the regional organization, while the leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which decided to withdraw from the organization, are absent because of the position of the latter of the military regimes governing these countries, and affiliated with Russia.
Although this summit is “ordinary”, it is described by observers as “exceptional” because of the sensitivity of the files that the leaders of the West African countries will discuss, foremost of which are the security files due to the escalation of terrorism in the region, the file of relations with the ruling military regimes in the Sahel countries, and seeking to convince them to negotiate and reverse the decision to withdraw.
While the leaders of the regional organization, which raises the slogan of economic integration, are trying to convince the three Sahel countries to stay in the organization, but the latter announced on Friday that its decision is ” irreversible “and renewed its accusation of the regional organization as a” tool ” controlled by France. The three countries stuck to moving forward with the formation of their own organization, as they announced months ago the establishment of the “alliance of Sahel countries”, and began preparing to turn it into a “confederation” that abolishes the borders between the three countries, unifies their currency and passport, in addition to their military and security capabilities to fight terrorism that is plaguing the region.
The decision of the Sahel countries to withdraw from the organization “ECOWAS”, comes into force on January 29 (January) next (2025), while the leaders of the organization seek to convince these countries to back off or at least postpone it, because of its economic and security repercussions on the region.
A few hours before the ECOWAS summit, the Sahel countries issued a statement saying that they had decided to cancel the visa for citizens of all West African countries, in a move to confirm their position adhering to the decision to leave the regional organization.
The three countries involved in the Confederation of Sahel states said it had become a “visa-free zone for all citizens of the economic community of West African States (ECOWAS)”.
The statement read by the minister of foreign affairs of Mali, Abdoulaye Diop, on Malian state television, on Saturday evening, confirmed that “nationals of (ECOWAS) countries have the right to enter, move, reside, settle and exit the territory of the member countries of the Confederation of Sahel countries in accordance with the applicable national laws”.
The decision does not change anything, as the laws of the organization “ECOWAS” provided for the same thing, allowing freedom of movement and property for citizens of the member states of the economic community stretching from Senegal to Nigeria, and it included 15 countries before the withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
The break between the alliance of Sahel countries and the organization “ECOWAS” began after the coup in Niger in July 2023, the sixth coup in the region in three years (two coups in Mali, two coups in Burkina Faso, and a coup in Guinea), in addition to several coup attempts in other countries.
The regional organization tried to stand up to the wave of coups, imposed sanctions on Mali and Burkina Faso, and threatened military intervention in Niger after it imposed harsh economic sanctions, before lifting those sanctions later.
Mali and Burkina Faso stood in solidarity with Niger, and announced that any military intervention in Niger is a violation of its sovereignty and will force it to intervene in support of the ruling military council in Niamey, starting a new phase of tension that ended with the decision to withdraw on January 28, 2024.
The leaders of the West African countries are expected to devote a large part of their discussion to the relationship with the ruling military regimes in the Sahel countries, as the regional organization still adheres to diplomatic methods to convince the three countries to reverse the decision to withdraw.
This was confirmed by the president of Nigeria, Bola tinebo, who is the rotating chairman of the economic community of West African States (ECOWAS), where he stressed Wednesday that “diplomacy and prudence is the only way to reintegrate these countries into the regional organization”.
The Nigerian President noted that the military councils governing the three countries ” remain reluctant to establish clear programs for a specific transition phase in order to hand over power to civilians and return to the constitutional situation,” despite this, tinebo said, “the relationship of mutual respect will continue, while we reassess the situation in the three countries. In the same context, he added that ECOWAS will leave the door open for the return of democracy to the countries concerned, stressing that respect for constitutional institutions and the promotion of democracy “is what the organization stands for”.
The head of the ECOWAS Commission, Aliou Omar Toure, the most important figure in the regional organization, stressed that”the West African region stands at an unprecedented crossroads in its history as a society”.
“As ECOWAS member states prepare to celebrate the golden jubilee of regional integration efforts next year, they are also facing the possibility of some member states withdrawing,” Toure said in press statements on Thursday, adding that “it is necessary to reflect on the great achievements made by ECOWAS over the past decades, as well as to think about the future of society in light of the political challenges facing our peoples.
While the leaders of the regional organization raise a conciliatory speech towards the countries of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, the latter continues in a sharp speech accusing the “ECOWAS” of subordination to the former colonial power (France).
