ECOWAS Summit Concludes Grace Period for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger

By Camillus Eboh

ABUJA (Reuters) – Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger will have a six-month grace period after their scheduled exit from West Africa's main political and economic group next month. This decision was made during the ECOWAS summit on Sunday, as leaders sought to persuade these countries to reconsider their departure.

The summit addressed the impending withdrawal set for January 29, which marks one year since the three nations announced their exit, reversing decades of regional integration.

So far, ECOWAS has struggled to convince these countries to stay. The three nations, situated in the insurgency-torn central Sahel region, have formed their own alliance, seeking closer defense ties and even discussing abandoning the West African currency union.

While January 29 is the official withdrawal date, the effective exit will now be extended to July 29, providing a transition period for mediators to convince the three countries to remain members of ECOWAS. Commission President Oumar Touray emphasized the effort to bring them back without prejudice.

During the summit, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso reiterated that their exit is irreversible. They also declared their territories would remain visa-free for all ECOWAS citizens post-exit, a step aimed at addressing concerns that their departure threatens the bloc's freedom of movement and common market of 400 million people.

This exit marks a critical moment for the Sahel region, which has seen a series of coups since 2020, elevating military authorities who are strengthening ties with Russia over traditional allies like France, amid a significant geopolitical shift in the area.