GNV News 2025 year 2 month 2 day

 2025 year 1 month 29 day, the three countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger officially finalized their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional organization in West Africa.

 In West Africa, security challenges have increased mainly due to the rise of extremist armed groups in the Sahel region, and from 2020 year to 2023 year, military coups occurred in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. After Niger’s coup in 2023, Mali and Burkina Faso condemned ECOWAS sanctions such as border closures and asset freezes as inhumane, and the 3 countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formed their own organization, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), and in 2024 year 1 month declared their withdrawal from ECOWAS. During the process until the withdrawal was finalized, there were economic penalties and diplomatic pressure from Western governments, and since then there have been tense relations between the military regimes of the Sahel 3 countries and ECOWAS. In addition, problems in the organization’s response to attacks by extremist groups and dissatisfaction with being under the influence of Western countries such as France were also major factors that propelled the exit.

 The 3 countries have been advancing efforts toward regional integration and military cooperation—such as forming a joint military force from the day they announced their exit—and have also announced the issuance of a common AES passport.

Learn more about West Africa→ “International relations in West Africa” https://gnv.news/archives/987491480

Learn more about Burkina Faso → “What is happening in Burkina Faso?” https://gnv.news/archives/22217