ECOWAS Parliament Worried Over Reluctance of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger to Rejoin Regional Bloc

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament has again expressed worries over the seeming reluctance of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic to return to ECOWAS despite the many entreaties of leaders of the regional bloc.

Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, disclosed this during the induction training for members of the 6th Legislature at the ongoing 2024 Third Extraordinary Session and Second Parliamentary Seminar of the legislative body in Lome, Togo on Wednesday.

The Speaker noted that the countries, which announced their exit from the 15-member ECOWAS in January 2024, following disagreements over military takeover of governments in the three countries, have not responded to calls for their return to the region’s most important organisation.

Her words: “We have taken a lot of initiatives at the level of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Council of Ministers and at all levels. We have written to the three countries but they have not responded.”

She however said despite this, West African leaders will continue to reach out to them for reconciliation.

A member of the Parliament, Hon. Shiaka Musa Sama, from Sierra Leone had raised concerns over the continued absence of the three countries and the implications for the citizens of the countries, calling for more efforts to reconcile with the estranged countries and bring them back.

ECOWAS had imposed sanctions on the three countries after the military takeover but had gone a step further, threatening military intervention to restore democracy in Niger.

This initiated camaraderie in the three countries who subsequently pulled out from the regional bloc, forming instead confederation of Sahel states.

The leaders of the three countries had announced at a Summit early this year, stating that: “This summit marks a decisive step for the future of our common space. Together, we will consolidate the foundations of our true independence, a guarantee of true peace and sustainable development through the creation of the ‘Alliance of Sahel States’ Confederation,’” Capt. Ibrahim Traore, the leader of Burkina Faso, wrote on X.

“The AES (Alliance of Sahel States) is full of enormous natural potential which, if properly exploited, will guarantee a better future for the people of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso,” Traore added.

Earlier this September, the three leaders said they will introduce new biometric passports as part of their withdrawal from ECOWAS in favour of a new Sahel alliance.

Also, in September Burkina Faso had threatened to launch new passports without the ECOWAS logo.

“In the coming days, a new biometric passport of the AES (Alliance of Sahel States) will be put into circulation with the aim of harmonising travel documents in our common area and facilitating the mobility of our citizens throughout the world”, Malian junta leader Assimi Goita had announced.