In an escalation of the global geopolitical tensions in Africa, the military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger jointly announced weekend their immediate withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They accused ECOWAS of imposing harsh sanctions to reverse the recent coups in their countries, claiming that the regional bloc had deviated from its original ideals and become a threat to member states. The Juntas are supported by Russia, have formed a security alliance, and severed military ties with France, their colonial State. They also accused ECOWAS of failing to address terrorism in the Sahel. The 15 member nations have thus been reduced to 12. ECOWAS, established in 1975 to promote economic integration, is the top political and regional authority in West Africa. The coup in Mali was 18 August 2020, Burkina Faso was on 30 September 2022, and in Niger 26 July 2023.
