Explainer - What is ECOWAS?

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, three West African states led by the military have withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), regional economic bloc.

Why was this decision taken?

• The juntas said in a joint statement read out on state television in all three countries that they have decided in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the ECOWAS.

• They alleged that the bloc has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism after nearly 50 years of its establishment.

• Furthermore, ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to its member states and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure, their statements read.

• The announcement is the latest twist in a series of events that have deepened political tension in West Africa since it experienced its latest of a string of coups last year. 

• It also comes as the three nations have formed a security alliance after severing military ties with France and other European nations and turning to Russia for support.

• It is not immediately clear how that process of the countries’ withdrawal from the bloc would be carried out. 

• ECOWAS has struggled in recent years to reverse rampant coups in the region where citizens have complained of not benefitting from rich natural resources.

• The bloc had previously said it does not recognise the military-led governments, vowing that coups would no longer be tolerated after the military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea and an attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau.

What is ECOWAS?

• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was established by the signing of Treaty of Lagos in May 1975 by 15 West African countries.

• Cabo Verde joined the union in 1977.

• Mauritania withdrew its full-membership in 2000.

• The 15 members of the ECOWAS are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. 

• The ECOWAS region spans an area of 5.2 million square kilometres. 

• Considered one of the pillars of the African Economic Community, ECOWAS was set up to foster the ideal of collective self-sufficiency for its member states. As a trading union, it is also meant to create a single, large trading bloc through economic cooperation.

• The main goal of ECOWAS is to promote economic cooperation among member states in order to raise living standards and promote economic development. 

• ECOWAS has also worked to address some security issues by developing a peacekeeping force for conflicts in the region. 

• In 2007, ECOWAS Secretariat was transformed into a Commission to implement the vision, mission and objectives of ECOWAS as a regional grouping of 15 Member States. 

• Its headquarters is in Abuja, Nigeria.

• According to the bloc’s treaty, member states wishing to withdraw must give a written one-year notice. It also says they must continue to abide by its provisions during the year-long period.

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