Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger rule out return to ECOWAS ahead of talks
Foreign ministers from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger met in Ouagadougou on Friday to coordinate their positions ahead of negotiations with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), firmly ruling out a return to the regional bloc.
Burkinabe Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré dismissed speculation that the three countries, which form the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), were considering rejoining ECOWAS.
“Some media outlets are already beginning to speculate about the three countries’ desire to return to ECOWAS; this is an opportunity to reassure everyone that there is no truth in this,” Traoré said.
He explained that negotiations would focus on establishing a new legal framework to preserve trade, freedom of movement and other benefits previously enjoyed by citizens of both blocs.
Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop reinforced the position, insisting that future negotiations must recognise AES and ECOWAS as separate regional organisations.
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“These discussions with ECOWAS must, more than ever, take place within the framework of an entity-to-entity dialogue,” Diop said.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS in January 2024, with their departure formally taking effect in January 2025.
The three military-led countries established the AES as a mutual defence alliance in 2023 before transforming it into a confederation in July 2024.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
