ECOWAS Warns of 'Disintegration' If Junta-Led States Split

Facts

• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) warned on Sunday that the region risks disintegration and further insecurity as juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger break away from the bloc.¹
• ECOWAS Commission Pres. Omar Alieu Touray said that the withdrawal of junta-led states would also affect funding and disrupt the freedom of movement. Meanwhile, Senegal's Bassirou Diomaye Faye was selected as an envoy to convince the trio to return to the bloc.²
• This comes a day after Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger signed a treaty to form a confederation of their own, named the Alliance of Sahel States, formalizing their 'irrevocabl[e]' departure from ECOWAS.³
• The three nations have reportedly decided to create a regional parliament and a bank similar to those ECOWAS operates and combine their military resources to fight insecurity.⁴
• Last September, the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formed the Alliance of Sahel States to help each other in the event of threats to their sovereignty — claiming that ECOWAS serves as a tool for foreign powers, notably France.⁵
• The trio withdrew from ECOWAS in January as the bloc adopted a tough stand against military takeovers. Sanctions were imposed on Niger after Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani rose to power last year but were lifted in February in a — so far unsuccessful — bid to mend ties.⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Guardian, ³BBC News, ⁴ABC News, ⁵RT and ⁶Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Sputnik Africa. ECOWAS has proven not only to be ineffective in dealing with terrorism in the Sahel but also a paper tiger of an organization that threatens the sovereignty of its own member states. Therefore, it's only natural that Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have left the bloc and decided to establish a confederation of their own, which will not be under the control of foreign powers.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Voice of America. As Russia-backed coup leaders in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger move to break away from ECOWAS and form an organization of their own to legitimize their military governments, regional instability and insecurity are set to be aggravated further. Now more than ever, a united bloc of countries is critical to addressing West Africa's challenges.

Predictions