• Former privileges legitimate until completion of withdrawal processes
• ECOWAS says doorways open ought to international locations resolve to rejoin
• AES will face vital penalties, Tuggar warns
• Campaign grows for launch of Niger’s former president Bazoum
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has raised issues over the withdrawal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), saying the choice would have vital safety and financial repercussions.
He described their exit as a posh situation requiring cautious consideration and diplomatic efforts to resolve. Tuggar’s response got here because the President of ECOWAS, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, introduced the ultimate withdrawal of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) members from the regional bloc at a media briefing in Abuja yesterday.
Tuggar, in an interview, identified that the choice to impose sanctions on the international locations was collectively made by ECOWAS heads of state and authorities, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had labored tirelessly via diplomatic channels to influence the international locations to rethink their stance.
“Several delegations have been sent to these countries, and the Presidents of Togo and Sierra Leone have been appointed as mediators to facilitate dialogue,” the Minister defined. “Additionally, ECOWAS has lifted sanctions imposed on them, paving the way for reconciliation.”
Tuggar expressed issues in regards to the safety implications of the withdrawal, stressing that the area is already combating terrorism and humanitarian crises.
“ECOWAS has established a 1,650-strong brigade to combat terrorism and has offered financial assistance to support the affected countries in their fight against terrorism,” he stated.
He additionally highlighted the substantial financial implications of their exit, noting that the international locations would now not be a part of the regional financial neighborhood, which may restrict their entry to markets and hinder financial progress.
“Their withdrawal may disrupt regional integration efforts, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” Tuggar added. “The African Union and other international organisations have expressed concerns about the likely impact on regional integration and the stability of the continent.” The Minister emphasised the significance of continued collaboration and cooperation to handle the challenges arising from this improvement.
“The regional bloc has also offered support to the affected countries to address their security concerns,” Tuggar said. “We recognise the challenges faced by these countries, and we are committed to providing assistance to help them address their security needs.”
Meanwhile, Touray assured that the exiting international locations would proceed to take pleasure in all advantages afforded to member states till essential authorized, institutional, and diplomatic processes had been accomplished.
He said that ECOWAS passports, the bloc’s emblem, and different types of identification held by residents of the three international locations would stay legitimate and recognised by ECOWAS till additional discover.
“They will be allowed to enjoy visa-free movement in accordance with ECOWAS protocols. The public should continue to support ECOWAS officials who are citizens of the three countries,” he stated. “These benefits will remain in place until the disengagement process is concluded. Structures are already in place for discussions with the trio.”
Touray additionally addressed issues in regards to the potential affect of their exit on the bloc’s continental and world relationships, reassuring that safety collaboration would proceed even after the withdrawal course of is full.
Should the international locations resolve to rejoin the bloc sooner or later, Touray emphasised that ECOWAS’ doorways stay open to them. Following the choice of the three international locations to take care of their place, communicated in a joint letter to the Commission in January, Touray said that ECOWAS had no alternative however to declare that they’ve formally ceased to be member states.
“On January 13, I wrote to them regarding the decision of the ECOWAS authority and the need to initiate the withdrawal formalities. I proposed a timeline for initiating the process,” he stated, including that the framework would deal with authorized, institutional, and diplomatic talks.
Meanwhile, Mali has formally responded, expressing its willingness to interact in dialogue. Touray additionally talked about that one other nation had responded, although he was nonetheless awaiting affirmation of which of the remaining two it was.
In closing, Touray urged the media to assist curb misinformation, which he stated had unfold extensively inside the neighborhood. He known as on the media to keep away from publishing content material that might disintegrate the bloc, stressing that the remaining members would stay dedicated to upholding ECOWAS’ core rules.
On Tuesday, some folks within the three departing international locations’ capitals took to the streets to have fun the withdrawal. But not everybody helps the juntas’ selections. Omar Hama from Niger stated he wished the three international locations had remained in ECOWAS whereas concurrently belonging to the AES.
“I would have liked them to overcome their differences because we have a common space, same people with historical similarities and same economic realities,” he instructed the BBC.
Fatouma Harber, a journalist and blogger dwelling in Mali, nervous that the change could ultimately trigger administrative and financial hassles for her and different residents of the three international locations.
“However, if the AES can really bring benefits for us, that would be an excellent thing,” she stated. Zabeirou Issa, who lives in Mali’s capital, Bamako, took a firmer stance, saying, “ECOWAS does not have any power; it is the Westerners who decide for the ECOWAS leaders. Yes, I am very happy about the decision.”
In Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital, Cisse Kabore instructed the BBC she needed her nation to stay in ECOWAS as a result of now the area “will no longer be united as before”.
Relatedly, Niger’s former president, Mohamed Bazoum, has now spent 550 days in detention by the hands of the navy junta within the capital, Niamey. His attorneys have warned that his ongoing imprisonment is setting a harmful precedent and have launched a worldwide marketing campaign calling for his launch.
World leaders have joined the rising name for Bazoum’s freedom, with many signing a petition which has now reached Washington. A devoted web site has additionally been established to maintain consideration on Bazoum’s case and guarantee he isn’t forgotten.
“His unjust detention is a call to action—for democracy, justice, and the principles he represents. Together, we stand with President Bazoum and demand his freedom,” the petition reads.
Reed Brody, a outstanding American human rights lawyer and prosecutor, is a part of Bazoum’s authorized group and had been in common contact with him till his cellphone was confiscated virtually a 12 months in the past. Since then, Bazoum and his spouse have been remoted from the surface world.
“Since the coup in July 2023, they have been confined to his former palace. Only a doctor is allowed to visit him twice a week,” Brody instructed reporters. In latest weeks, Bazoum’s authorized group and campaigners advocating for his launch have travelled globally to garner help, with backing from worldwide our bodies, together with the United Nations, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Secretary-General.
Brody described the case as a logo of the shortage of rule of legislation in Niger. “No charges have been brought against former President Bazoum and his wife. There is no legal basis for holding him. It’s a symbol of the military’s desire to prevent him from speaking to the world,” he stated.
The campaigners hope the brand new U.S. administration will play a key function in advocating for Bazoum’s launch. Smith, one of many marketing campaign promoters, stated, “With any incoming administration, there will be policy changes, sometimes significant and sweeping. It is important to maintain focus on building democratic resilience and countering the threat of authoritarianism.”
According to Brody, the brand new U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has expressed a dedication to selling democracy globally. He believes this might assist Bazoum’s trigger, noting that Bazoum was a “friend of the United States” and a powerful advocate within the combat in opposition to terrorism.
“I hope that Donald Trump and Marco Rubio will look at this man and say, ‘This is the kind of man who shouldn’t be in jail. This is the kind of man who should be free’,” Brody added.