Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali, and the Republic of Niger have officially withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following a formal notice issued on Wednesday.
Despite the pull-out, ECOWAS has urged its members to keep open lines of contact in the spirit of regional solidarity and in the interests of the people.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, ECOWAS also mandated that all relevant authorities inside and outside of ECOWAS member countries continue to recognize national passports and identity cards containing the ECOWAS insignia held by citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger until further notice.
PRESS STATEMENT The withdrawal of Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger from ECOWAS has become effective today, 29th January 2025. pic.twitter.com/3sydwMwh3R
— Ecowas – Cedeao (@ecowas_cedeao) January 29, 2025
Member states were encouraged to “provide full support and cooperation to ECOWAS officials from the three countries in the course of their assignments for the Community.”
According to the statement, these arrangements would remain in place until the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government has fully determined the parameters of our future participation with the three countries.
The Commission has established a mechanism to encourage conversations about these options with each of the three nations. The statement went on to say that this message is vital to avoid misunderstanding and disturbance in our people’s lives and companies during this transition.
