'They Had No Choice': Nigerien Analyst on Why Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali Withdrew From ECOWAS

The West, led by NATO, is manipulating ECOWAS, trying to destabilize Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, Issoufou Boubacar Kado Magagi, independent financial analyst and consultant, told Sputnik Africa, commenting on the reasons behind the withdrawal of the three countries from ECOWAS.

“Unfortunately, with countries like France, there is no win-win cooperation. It’s exploitation, it’s plundering of our wealth,” the expert said.

This thesis can be proved by looking at the history of the development of ECOWAS and another West African organization — the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).

Magagi recalled that the initial goal of ECOWAS creation back in 1975 was to promote economic cooperation among member states in all areas of national economic activity.

Furthermore, the expert said that in 2019, the organization created a common currency with flexible exchange rates, but French President Macron and Ivorian President Ouattara "blocked it" and "sabotaged it".

"[One of the ECOWAS missions was] to facilitate the integration of the 15 member countries to move towards the creation of a common currency. That's it. ECOWAS created a common currency in 2019 in Nigeria with flexible exchange rates. But Alassane Ouattara and Macron met in Abuja to "break up" this currency. [...] They blocked it, they sabotaged it," the expert recalled.

Moreover, the WAEMU, of which Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are members, was also created as a bloc to promote the economic development of its members.

"Its mission is to strengthen the competitiveness of the economic and financial activities of Member States within the framework of an open and competitive market and a rationalized and harmonized legal environment," Magagi said.

However, just like the ECOWAS, it deviated from its funding principles under the influence of the Western countries, as no WAEMU document includes punitive measures like freezing assets of a member state or closing a border with it, the analyst argued.

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ECOWAS regulations also did not include any mention of sanctions, such as those imposed on Niger after the military coup, the Magagi underlined.

Thus, ECOWAS, being manipulated by the West, left the three countries "no choice" but to leave the bloc.

"They have no choice but to go out and courageously take their destiny into their own hands," the expert pointed out.

However, the speaker believed that this withdrawal could open new perspectives for the countries, as BRICS countries that "account for 36% of the world's GDP and for 46% of the world's population" are willing to help them.

"[…] This withdrawal opens up a lot of perspectives for these three countries. [...] All these [BRICS] countries can help us. It’s win-win cooperation with them," the analyst concluded.