Burkina Faso West Africa bloc warns of danger from fragmentation
West Africa's regional federation Ecowas warns of the fragmentation of the economic bloc caused by the withdrawal of the three Sahel states led by the military: Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. "Disintegration will not only affect people's freedom of movement and freedom of establishment, but will also exacerbate insecurity in the region," said Ecowas Commission President Omar Touray at the opening of an Ecowas summit in Nigeria's capital Abuja.
07.07.2024, 21:09
SDA
The withdrawal of the three countries would be a serious blow to the fight against terrorism in the region and the establishment of a regional force, Touray said. Despite many years of international anti-terrorism missions, the states of the Sahel region are being overrun with violence by Islamist terrorist groups, which are also increasingly threatening neighboring states on the coast.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso announced their withdrawal from the bloc in January, which is due to take effect at the beginning of 2025. The day before the Ecowas summit, the junta leaders of the three states cemented their break with their neighbors by founding their own alliance to replace the Ecowas functions among themselves. Following military coups between 2020 and 2023, the three countries moved closer to Russia and abandoned former partners. Like the USA and France before it, Germany is giving up its last base from the fight against terrorism in Niger.
The Sahel Juntas accuse the regional bloc Ecowas, which had condemned the seizure of power by the military and imposed severe sanctions, of being controlled by external interests, in particular by the former colonial power France.
Ecowas was founded in 1975 to promote economic cooperation in West Africa. However, the association also promotes close social, political and military integration among the 15 member countries with a population of more than 420 million. In addition to the Sahel states, Guinea is currently also suspended as a result of a coup.
