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Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger to leave ECOWAS permanently in 2025

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Nigeria contributes 70% of products under ECOWAS trade –FG

The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Alieu Touray, said on Sunday Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic would leave the organisation permanently in 2025.

Touray stated this during the 66th ordinary session of ECOWAS heads of states and governments in Abuja.

The military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their immediate withdrawal from the ECOWAS in January this year, noting that their withdrawal was irreversible.

Prior to the withdrawal, the trio were suspended from ECOWAS, with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions due to the unconstitutional change of power in the three countries.

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However, Touray said ECOWAS has now set the countries’ exit at January 29, 2025 – July 29, 2025.

The ECOWAS president said the timeframe would allow for last mediations and any diplomatic interventions

The three countries, in a joint statement, had accused ECOWAS of serving the interests of France, their former colonial power and pledged to chart a new path for their citizens.

The announcement precedes a key ECOWAS summit scheduled for Sunday, where regional leaders had hoped to negotiate a resolution to retain the three nations within the bloc.

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