Three military-led West African nations — Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — have announced visa-free travel and residency rights for citizens of the 15-member ECOWAS bloc, even as they prepare to leave the organisation.
This decision aims to uphold historical and cultural ties despite rising tensions.
The leaders of the three countries, set to withdraw from ECOWAS in January, emphasized the move as a gesture of friendship. The decision comes after they rejected ECOWAS’s calls to restore democratic governance following recent military coups.
As ECOWAS leaders convene in Abuja, Nigeria, to address the trio’s impending exit, fears grow that the departure could undermine regional unity, economic collaboration, and security efforts.
Omar Touray, head of the ECOWAS Commission, called the situation “disheartening” but praised ongoing mediation attempts.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye led efforts to negotiate the nations’ continued membership, but Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger remain resolute. Following a ministerial meeting in Niamey, the three nations declared their decision “irreversible.”
These countries, founding members of ECOWAS since 1975, represent 76 million people and over half the bloc’s land area. Their withdrawal marks the first major fracture within ECOWAS and signals a shift toward the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), their newly formed coalition.
Despite the split, Mali’s leader, Assimi Goïta, confirmed that ECOWAS citizens would still enjoy rights to “enter, circulate, reside, establish, and leave” within the new alliance’s territories, signaling a desire for amicable relations moving forward.
