An Analyst with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Emmanuel K. Bensah, has criticized the recent decision by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to withdraw from ECOWAS, describing it as an imprudent move.
Bensah believes that the timing for these countries to exit the organization is not ideal, citing potential logistical challenges that may arise as a result.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, currently governed by military regimes that ousted civilian leaders, officially announced their decision to break away from ECOWAS on January 28, 2024.
In a joint statement issued on that day, the countries expressed regret and disappointment, stating, “After 49 years, the valiant peoples of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger regretfully and with great disappointment observe that the (ECOWAS) organization has drifted from the ideals of its founding fathers and the spirit of Pan-Africanism.”
They asserted that ECOWAS had not provided support to these nations in their fight against terrorism and insecurity.
“Indeed, the organization 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 texts; all things which have further weakened populations already bruised by years of violence imposed by instrumentalized and remote-controlled terrorist hordes.”
The statement further criticized the organization for imposing what they deemed as illegal, illegitimate, inhumane, and irresponsible sanctions when the countries decided to take control of their destinies.
However, in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on January 29, 2024, Bensah highlighted the drawbacks of the decision.
“Now these three countries would no longer enjoy the visa-free ration in West Africa. They will now need to apply for Visas to enter Ghana and other ECOWAS countries. Now, what about Malians who are in Ghana, they will no longer be ECOWAS citizens.”
“Malians who are in any other ECOWAS country, they will no longer be ECOWAS citizens, they will not be treated as such. They will now have to apply as if they are aliens to the ECOWAS community.”
He emphasized that citizens of these countries would now face limitations, needing to apply for visas to enter Ghana and other ECOWAS countries. This departure would also mean that Malians and citizens of the other countries would lose their ECOWAS citizenship privileges.
Bensah suggested that a more constructive approach would have been for the countries to engage in dialogue with ECOWAS, expressing their concerns about the treatment they received, rather than opting for withdrawal. He urged the countries to reconsider their decision.