It's done! Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have moved from words to action. These three countries have created their own Confederation. ECOWAS reacted immediately to this new initiative.
Since Saturday, July 6, the Alliance of Sahel States has given birth to the "Confederation of Sahel States." The birth certificate was officially announced at a summit held by the leaders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso on the eve of the ECOWAS summit held Sunday in Abuja (capital of Nigeria). Before breaking with ECOWAS, the three countries now united in Confederation had broken with France and hastened the departure of French troops stationed on their soil.
The Nigerien president affirmed on Saturday that the peoples of the three countries had "irreversibly turned their backs on ECOWAS," rejecting the bloc's calls to return to the fold. General Abdourahamane Tiani also called for the creation of "a community free from the grip of foreign powers."
The withdrawal of Sahel countries from ECOWAS was partly fueled by their accusation that Paris was manipulating the regional organization and not providing sufficient support for anti-jihadist efforts.
Sunday's summit in Abuja came after calls from several West African presidents to resume dialogue. In response, the president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, called on Bassirou Diomaye Faye to take on the role of "emissary" to Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, without giving more details.
"We must do everything to prevent the withdrawal of the three brother countries from ECOWAS. It would be the worst-case scenario and a significant blow to the pan-Africanism that our founding fathers bequeathed to us," said the Senegalese president, calling for "appropriate reforms to adapt ECOWAS to the realities of its time."
For his part, the head of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, warned on Sunday that the three countries risked "diplomatic and political isolation" and the loss of millions of euros in investments. Their nationals might also need to obtain visas to travel within the region, he said, without specifying when the measure might take effect. "The break will also worsen regional insecurity and hinder the establishment of a regional force," Touray added.
"In addition to the numerous threats related to peace and security as well as the challenges linked to poverty, our region also faces the risk of disintegration," he warned.
ECOWAS is plagued by internal dissensions. Information circulated on the eve of the Abuja summit reported a disagreement over the reappointment of the Nigerian president to the presidency of this regional group. The latest news is that ECOWAS has announced that Bola Ahmed Tinubu will remain in office.
