NAIROBI, Kenya: The African Union on Tuesday expressed its regret over the decision by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to withdraw from the West African bloc ECOWAS.
The AU commission president, Moussa Faki Mahamat in a statement called on regional leaders to intensify the dialogue between the ECOWAS leadership and the three states, which accused the West African bloc of threatening their sovereignty.
The three African states, which have tense ties with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) since the coups, announced their decision in a joint statement on Sunday.
The juntas in the three countries accused ECOWAS of “inhumane” sanctions imposed on them to reverse the military coups.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are founding members of ECOWAS in 1975, but the bloc has placed sanctions on them following military coups that overthrew elected governments.
Communiqué du Président de la Commission de l’Union Africaine sur le Retrait du Mali, du Niger et du Burkina Faso de la CEDEAO : https://t.co/rwXGGz1lhp pic.twitter.com/tkRGp2FMYl
— African Union (@_AfricanUnion) January 30, 2024
The military coups took place in Niger in July last year, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Mali in 2020.
On Sunday, the three countries which have formed an Alliance of Sahel States (AES), jointly stated the ECOWAS had come under the influence of foreign powers and betraying its founding principles.
AU Willing to Assist for Success of Fraternal Dialogue
The AU on Tuesday said that the African Union Commission is willing to assist for the success of the logic of fraternal dialogue, far from all foreign interference from wherever they come.
The announcement is the latest development following a series of efforts by ECOWAS to return the nations to civilian rule. The bloc has imposed sanctions on the nations following the coups but has sustained talks and demanded transitions to civilian rule.
