Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has officially acknowledged the departure of three of its former member states: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic. This exit is effective from January 29, 2025, following a one-year notice period.
Gatekeepers News reports that in its bid to maintain regional solidarity, the commission has requested its member countries to continue recognising the national passports of the three exiting nations that display the ECOWAS logo, pending further updates.
A statement released by the ECOWAS Authority emphasised its commitment to ongoing engagement with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, requesting its member states to:
“a) recognize National passports and identity cards bearing ECOWAS logo held by the citizens of Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger, until further notice.
“b) continue to treat goods and services coming from the three countries in accordance with the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and investment policy.
“c) allow citizens of the three affected countries to continue to enjoy the right of visa-free movement, residence and establishment in accordance with the ECOWAS protocols until further notice.
“d) provide full support and cooperation to ECOWAS officials from the three countries in the course of their assignments for the Community.”
“These arrangements will be in place until the full determination of the modalities of our future engagement with the three countries by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
“The Commission has set up a structure to facilitate discussions on these modalities with each of the three countries. This message is necessary to avoid confusion and disruption in the lives and businesses of our people during this transition period,” the statement concluded.