Lhe three countries that form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) announced in January their desire to leave ECOWAS, an organization today bringing together 15 West African countries.
At a summit held last Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria, ECOWAS announced a six-month withdrawal period so that the three countries can reverse their decision after their official departure date, at the end of January 2025.
The presidents of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, were tasked with leading discussions for a possible reintegration of the three countries within the regional organization.
The president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, estimated that it will be a “transition period” which will last until “July 29, 2025“, in order to “keep the doors of ECOWAS open” to the three West African countries.
In a joint declaration signed by the Malian leader, General Assimi Goïta, current president of the AES, the College of Heads of State of these three countries, denounces actions of “destabilization” attributed to foreign powers.
AES leaders reported operations to reorganize and regroup terrorist groups in the Lake Chad Basin, in the Sahel and in certain border areas, namely: Niger-Nigeria, Niger-Benin; Niger-Burkina and Benin-Burkina.
They therefore decided to “put the defense and security forces on maximum alert, to make the confederal space a unique theater of military operations, coexisting with the current national military theaters”, according to the statement.
The heads of state of the Confederation of Sahel States recently affirmed that their decision to leave the organization was “irreversible”.
(with MAP)
