Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger have withdrawn their membership from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Ibrahim Traoré, Assimi Goita, and Abdourahamane Tiani, heads of state of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, respectively, stated their withdrawal from ECOWAS was due to the betrayal of its founding principles, adding that the organisation had become a threat to its member states.

”Indeed the organisation has not provided assistance to our States in the context of our existential fight against terrorism and insecurity: worse, when these States decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture by imposing illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of its own texts,” the statement read in part.