The military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger jointly declared their immediate withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The leaders cited a “sovereign decision” in a statement broadcasted on Niger national television, expressing disappointment with ECOWAS’s departure from its founding ideals and the failure to support their fight against terrorism.
Despite signing a mutual defense pact, known as the Alliance of Sahel States, in September 2023, tensions escalated after ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Niger following a military coup last July, even threatening military action.
