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Ibrahim Traore

Sahel States Exit ECOWAS, Launch Regional Passport And Joint Military

Just a year ago, on January 28, 2024, the military leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger publicly declared their intent to withdraw from the regional economic bloc. This announcement was a historic point in the Sahel’s political shift, as the three countries continue to push for sovereignty, regional security, and economic autonomy. The withdrawal took effect on January 29, 2025, as confirmed by ECOWAS. On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, the streets of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, came alive with celebration as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) marked the first anniversary of their historic decision to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Mali, Burkina Faso, And Niger Withdraw From ECOWAS

In a televised statement on Sunday, January 28, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Their exit has shrunk the regional bloc, condemned by West Africa’s popular movements as an agent of French imperialism, to less than half its previous size, given the relatively vast expanse of Mali and Niger in the region. Reduced from 15 member states to 12, ECOWAS has nevertheless said that the three countries, against whom it was set to go to war last year, “remain important members,” although it had already suspended and sanctioned them.

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