On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) officially acknowledged the exit of three of its former member countries—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic—marking the end of their one-year notice period that began in January 2024.
While the departure is now complete, ECOWAS extended a gesture of “regional solidarity” by urging its remaining member states to continue recognizing the national passports of citizens from the three countries that bear the ECOWAS logo. The organization emphasized that this will remain in place until further notice, ensuring some continuity in regional relations.
In a formal statement, the ECOWAS Authority outlined a set of measures to ease the transition, including:
- Recognition of Passports and Identity Cards – ECOWAS member states are encouraged to continue recognizing the national passports and identity cards of citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, as long as they display the ECOWAS logo.
- Trade and Services – Goods and services coming from the three countries will still be treated in accordance with the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and investment policies.
- Visa-Free Movement – Citizens of the three countries will maintain their rights to visa-free movement, residence, and establishment under ECOWAS protocols.
- Support for ECOWAS Officials – ECOWAS officials from the departing nations will continue to receive full support during their assignments.
These arrangements are set to remain in effect until the full details of future engagements between ECOWAS and the three countries are clarified. The ECOWAS Commission has already set up a structure to facilitate discussions with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger on these future modalities.
ECOWAS, which has been a key regional bloc for decades, now faces a complicated future with the departure of these Sahelian countries. Their exit follows a series of military-led coups in all three nations, with the juntas accusing ECOWAS of excessive reliance on France, which has become a common enemy for the regimes. In response, the three countries have pursued new alliances with Russia, Turkey, and Iran, distancing themselves from the influence of Paris.
The exit of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger marks a significant fracture in West Africa’s regional cooperation, with the trio now banding together to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a new confederation aimed at countering ECOWAS influence.
In Niger, the mood on the ground reflects the political shift, as thousands of people, led by members of the military regime, gathered in the capital Niamey on Wednesday. The crowd marched from a central square toward the national assembly, celebrating the country’s newfound direction outside the ECOWAS fold.
As the three countries chart a new course, the remaining ECOWAS members must navigate the complexities of maintaining unity in the region while managing the fallout from this significant departure.
