Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, three West African nations led by military juntas, have announced visa-free travel and residency rights for citizens of ECOWAS member states. This move comes ahead of their planned withdrawal from the 15-member regional bloc in January.
In a joint statement issued after a meeting in Niger’s capital, Niamey, the leaders described the decision as an effort to preserve “centuries-old ties” among African people, despite strained relations with neighboring nations. Mali’s military ruler and Alliance of Sahel States chairman, Assimi Goïta, emphasized that citizens of ECOWAS countries would still enjoy the right to enter, reside, and work within the new bloc.
The announcement follows escalating tensions between the three states and ECOWAS after military coups in Mali (2020), Burkina Faso (2022), and Niger (2023). ECOWAS had suspended their membership and demanded a return to democratic rule, but the juntas refused, labeling the bloc as too aligned with Western powers. Instead, they have shifted towards closer ties with Russia, citing its support in combating regional jihadist insurgencies.
The trio’s planned departure marks a significant blow to ECOWAS, as it will lose 76 million of its 446 million people and more than half its geographical area. It also represents the first split in the bloc since its founding in 1975.
Efforts by Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to reconcile with the breakaway states have been unsuccessful. ECOWAS leaders are currently meeting in Nigeria to discuss the implications of this unprecedented rift for regional unity and economic cooperation.