The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has become "a threat" to Sahel countries, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop told local channel ORTM1 following the withdrawal of his country, Niger and Burkina Faso from the regional bloc.
According to the head of Malian diplomacy, the Community "has been used against the institutions of our countries, against our states, against our peoples."
He pointed out that the regional organization had adopted "coercive measures" that had an impact on the population, even going so far as to "threaten military intervention."
In the face of these measures, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have made a "choice for survival," according to Minister Diop.
"We believe that our countries have a greater interest in being outside ECOWAS, beyond the reach of its destabilizing actions, so that we can reorganize ourselves and also take advantage of all the opportunities that present themselves to be able to work with those countries that wish to do so," the minister concluded.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS in a joint communiqué issued on January 28. The countries then sent a "formal notification" of their withdrawal to the community. According to Burkinabe political analyst Bayala Lianhoué Imhotep, this decision "undermines the colonial attitude of France."
The countries have had strained relations with ECOWAS since the military took power in Mali in 2020, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023.
The organization has imposed heavy sanctions on the latter and threatened to use military force to reinstate the ousted authorities. ECOWAS also suspended the three countries from its bodies.