The military leaders of republic of Mali, republic of Niger and Burkina Faso has announced the exit from Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS.
The trio made the announcement in a communique after an extra ordinary series meeting held in Ouagadougou, Bamako and Niamey the capital city of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger respectively.
According to the trio, after eager to achieve integration between the states of the sub-region and drive by ideals of fraternity, solidarity, mutual aid, peace and development, their Excellencies
General Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana, General Moussa Traoré and Lieutenant
Colonel Seyni Kountché, respectively Heads of State of Upper Volta (current Burkina Faso), from Mali and Niger, created with twelve (12) of their peers, on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after 49 years of existence, the valiant people of Burkina, Mali and Niger note with much regret, bitterness and great disappointment that their Organization has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism.
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The statement reads “ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its principles founders, has become a threat to its Member States and its populations, of which it is supposed to ensure happiness.”
“In fact, the organization did not provide assistance to our States in the context of our fight existential against terrorism and insecurity: worse, when these States decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture in imposing illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of his own texts; all things which have further weakened the populations already bruised by years of violence imposed by instrumentalized terrorist hordes and remotely controlled.
“Faced with this continuing situation, their Excellencies, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Colonel Assimi Goita and Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, respectively Heads of State of Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger, taking all their
responsibilities before history and responding to the expectations, concerns and aspirations of their
populations, decide in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and
Niger of the Economic Community of West African States.”