Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have decided to leave West Africa’s Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a bloc that has been criticized for its failure to address the growing rift between Western-allied elected governments and military-run countries increasingly relying on Russia and China.
The decision to withdraw from ECOWAS could take time to implement, but if carried through, it is set to disrupt the region’s trade and services flows, worth nearly $150 billion a year. It also raises questions over millions of nationals from the poor and landlocked nations who settled in neighboring states as the bloc allows visa-free travel and right to work.
Ivory Coast alone is home to more than 5 million people from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Niger shares 1,500 km of border with Nigeria and 80% of its trade is done with its richer neighbour. Ghana, Togo, and Benin also have a big diaspora from Niger. If the three military-ruled countries decide to go ahead and leave, it will become a very big problem, economically and politically, and the stakes are the highest for the people from these three countries.
More than a dozen analysts and Africa diplomats consulted by Reuters agreed that the trio’s stance on ECOWAS underscored tumult across a region where armies have struggled to contain Islamist militants since seizing power in several countries. Russia has been extending its influence at the expense of former colonial power France, regional heavyweight Nigeria, and the United States.
The three military-ruled countries jointly announced their departure on Sunday, accusing ECOWAS of abandoning its founding ideals and falling under the influence of foreign powers. They said the bloc had offered little support against Islamic insurgencies that have killed thousands and displaced over 2 million. Under ECOWAS rules, leaving the bloc takes at least a year, so those living outside their home countries should not face immediate consequences.
In Mali’s capital, Bamako, tailor Adama Coulibaly welcomed the juntas’ decision, saying it was normal for the countries to take matters into their own hands because ECOWAS had failed. Health worker Nagnouma Keita was apprehensive, stating that their three states cannot survive on their own, especially since they have no access to the sea.
The latest crisis at ECOWAS highlights the growing rift between Western-allied elected governments and military-run countries increasingly relying on Russia and China. The departure from ECOWAS will have catastrophic consequences for the ability to respond to the many security challenges facing the region.
(Reuters)
