Three military-led nations, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, have officially withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), rejecting pressure to return to civilian governance. After unsuccessful negotiations, they are establishing an alternative coalition called the Alliance of Sahelian States (A.E.S.) and forming a joint military force. The juntas justify their exit by claiming it protects their sovereignty, while criticizing ECOWAS as a neocolonialist organization. This withdrawal diminishes ECOWAS, which will now have only 12 members, emphasizing the shifting political landscape in the region.
The withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS exemplifies a push for sovereignty; their leaders see the bloc as a neocolonialist force.
Assimi Goita, Mali's president, criticized ECOWAS, equating its influences to jihadist forces, stating, "The only difference is that some carry weapons and others do not."
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