Withdrawal of Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso from ECOWAS threatens regional security
The Economic Community of West African States Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, has stated that the withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from the regional bloc will lead to unintended security consequences.
In January, the three military-led West African nations announced their immediate withdrawal from ECOWAS, accusing the organisation of becoming a threat to its member states.
Speaking at the 42nd ordinary session of the Committee of ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja on Wednesday,
Musah stressed that their withdrawal would inevitably undermine coordination and cooperation in combating terrorism, human trafficking, and transnational organised crime.
The exit of these countries from ECOWAS after almost five decades of diplomatic, political, and security cooperation will eventually generate unintended consequences on the security front.
Such a withdrawal will inevitably undermine coordination and cooperation in the fight against terrorism, human trafficking, and transnational organised crime in our region. This situation compels this gathering to also focus deliberations on reassessing our peace and security strategies moving forward.
Musah called on the ECOWAS Defence Chiefs to finalise the planning for the deployment to stabilise Sierra Leone and the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Logistics Depot at Lungi in the Republic of Sierra Leone.

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