Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso leave West Africa regional bloc ECOWAS

Dakar [Senegal], January 30: The Sahel states of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are officially leaving the regional economic bloc ECOWAS on Wednesday after 50 years.
The withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States, which the three junta-led countries decided on a year ago, is now in effect despite several attempts at mediation.
This means that around 73 million people are leaving one of the largest regional economic communities in Africa, which had consisted of 15 countries and whose aim is to promote economic co-operation between the member states to raise the standard of living.
Relations between the three countries and the bloc have been severely strained since military coups in Mali (2021), Burkina Faso (2022) and Niger (2023). Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey accuse ECOWAS, which criticized the coups and imposed sanctions, of being influenced by the interests of France, a former colonial power. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune