The Federal Government has conveyed its sadness over the announcement by the Military authority in the Republic of Niger, revealing the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
In a statement on Monday, Francisca Omayuli, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed Nigeria’s openness for engagement with the three countries.
The statement emphasized ECOWAS’s half-century commitment to promoting peace, prosperity, and democracy in the region, with Nigeria standing in solidarity to uphold due process and the rights of all citizens.
Nigeria’s sincere efforts to address challenges within ECOWAS were acknowledged in the statement. However, it highlighted the lack of reciprocal good faith from those seeking to exit the community.
The statement condemned unelected leaders for impeding citizens’ sovereign right to make fundamental choices and called for continued engagement with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
On Sunday, the military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger declared their immediate withdrawal from ECOWAS, citing it as a threat to member states.
The leaders justified this “sovereign decision” due to perceived deviations from founding principles and heavy sanctions imposed after recent coups.
The statement from the three Sahel nations underscored their collective stance against what they perceived as ECOWAS betraying its principles under foreign influence.
Tensions escalated, with the formation of an “Alliance of Sahel States” as the leaders deemed ECOWAS a threat to member states and peoples.
