The Presidency has clarified the membership status of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), claiming that the three countries are technically not members due to their suspension, News About Nigeria reports.
According to a source from the Presidency, the suspension was imposed on Mali and Burkina Faso before President Bola Tinubu assumed leadership of the regional bloc.
The suspension resulted from coups d’etats in these countries that removed democratically elected governments.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity to Vanguard, explained that Niger was the most recent country to face suspension for unlawfully overthrowing a legally elected government.
Therefore, the countries under military rule have had their ECOWAS memberships suspended, and they are not considered active members.
“Mali and Burkina Faso were suspended before Mr. President became chairman of ECOWAS. Niger was the last one, and you know the reason why they were suspended. They were removing the elected legally/legitimate government via a coup d’etat. So that is why they were suspended,” the source stated.
Addressing the withdrawal announcement by the three countries, the source noted that since they are under suspension, their departure is a mere formality, as they are not considered active members of ECOWAS.
The ECOWAS Secretariat and the Minister of Foreign Affairs are expected to provide further clarity and official reactions to the situation.
The source further said, “There will be reaction from the ECOWAS Secretariat. ECOWAS will react appropriately because I remember on Thursday, a delegation of ECOWAS, a ministerial committee of ECOWAS was supposed to go to Niger but they didn’t go because there was a flight problem.
“Like I said, the main reaction will come from the ECOWAS Secretariat and our Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs.”
The clarification from the Presidency comes in response to the recent announcements by Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso regarding their withdrawal from ECOWAS.
