The three countries of the Alliance of Sahel States consider their withdrawal from ECOWAS “irreversible”

“While recalling the irreversible decision of the States of the Confederation to withdraw from ECOWAS, the ministers urge (…) to continue discussions aimed at agreeing on exit arrangements in the interest of the populations of the Confederation”, specify the powers of the three countries following a ministerial meeting held in Niamey, Niger. This decision comes two days before an ECOWAS summit, scheduled for Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria, to debate this thorny issue and convince these countries to change their minds.

Last July, ECOWAS appointed the Senegalese president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, as mediator to reintegrate these countries into the community of West African states that they decided to leave.

The three member countries of the AES have taken a series of measures to consolidate their Confederation, notably through the signing of a memorandum of understanding relating to the elimination of roaming charges for telephone communications (“roaming”) between their countries. . They also plan to harmonize their travel and identity documents for free movement of their nationals and their goods.