The military chiefs of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali have been urged by President Bola Tinubu to reevaluate their decision to leave the Economic Community of West African States.
This came as he reaffirmed that ECOWAS was prepared to reconsider its punitive strategy in light of the states’ return to constitutional government.
As the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Tinubu presided over an extraordinary summit on the political, peace, and security situation in the region at the State House in Abuja.
“Times like we currently face in our sub-region demand that we take difficult but courageous decisions that put the plight of our people at the center of our deliberations,” he added, urging both parties to prioritize the welfare of their people.
“Democracy is nothing more than the political framework and the path to addressing the basic needs and aspirations of the people. This is why we must re-examine our current approach to the quest for constitutional order in four of our member states.
“I, therefore, urge them to reconsider the decision of the three of them to exit their home and not to perceive our organisation as the enemy.”
Recall that in May 2021, September 2022, and July 2023, respectively, the military overthrew the civilian governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
As a result, the ECOWAS imposed economic penalties on Guinea, where the military assumed control in September 2021, and the other three states.
All of the junta-led governments’ assets were frozen at the ECOWAS Central Bank, and the bloc ceased all financial and commercial exchanges with them.