ECOWAS Summit Convenes Following Inauguration of Separate Group by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger

The 63rd Ordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) commenced in Abuja on Sunday, with notable absentees from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, serving as the current ECOWAS chairman, opened the meeting at 1:00 pm, expressing gratitude to his colleagues for their support over the past year.

Tinubu’s tenure as ECOWAS chairman concludes during this summit, with the task of leading ECOWAS in discussions concerning the three countries that have chosen to form their own alliance.

The leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger officially established the Sahel Alliance just a day before the ECOWAS summit began, signaling their decision to separate from ECOWAS despite efforts by West African leaders to resume dialogue with them.

The Sahel Alliance, announced last September, commits the three countries to cooperate in the face of external aggression, emphasizing their independence from foreign influence.

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger withdrew from ECOWAS earlier this year following ECOWAS’s actions against military governments that had seized power from democratically elected leaders in each country.

During their summit in Niamey on Saturday, General Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger described ECOWAS as a threat to the military-led countries, underscoring their intent to govern their alliance independently for the benefit of their people.

Burkina Faso experienced a coup in September 2022, Mali in August 2021, and Niger in July 2023, leading to their current political dynamics within ECOWAS.